Saudi Arabia was set to host talks Tuesday between the United States and Ukraine after an argument erupted during President Volodymyr Zelensky’s February 28 visit to the White House.
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US officials were planning to use the meeting in part to determine whether Ukraine was willing to make material concessions to Russia to end the war, according to two US officials.
The US delegation would also be watching for signs that the Ukrainians were serious about improving ties with the Trump administration after last month’s blow-up in the Oval Office, said one of the officials, who requested anonymity to preview the closed-door talks.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was headed to Jeddah for the bilateral talks with Ukrainian officials, who will be led by Andriy Yermak, a top Zelensky aide. Rubio was expected to be joined by National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff.
“You can’t say ‘I want peace,’ and, ‘I refuse to compromise on anything’,” one of the US officials said of the talks.
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