Zelensky's Saudi Arabia Visit: Meeting Crown Prince Ahead of US Peace Talks
Kyiv, March 10 – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is traveling to Saudi Arabia on Monday, where he will meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. This meeting comes ahead of important talks between US and Ukrainian officials about ending the war, which is happening at a critical moment for Kyiv.
The United States, once Ukraine's main ally, has completely changed its wartime policies. It has begun direct talks with Russia and has stopped providing military aid and intelligence sharing to Kyiv. Zelensky will meet with the Saudi Crown Prince, who has played various mediating roles since Russia's 2022 invasion, such as brokering prisoner exchanges and hosting talks between Russia and the United States last month.
On Tuesday, a meeting between US and Ukrainian officials will take place, which will be the first official meeting since the controversial Oval Office encounter between President Zelensky and US President Donald Trump. This meeting is expected to discuss a bilateral minerals deal and ways to end the war.
Under immense pressure from Trump, who wants to end the war quickly, Zelensky is trying to ensure they are working from the same perspective. However, Kyiv has still not been able to secure the US security guarantees that they consider vital for any peace agreement.
Zelensky has said he will not participate in Tuesday's talks, and his delegation will include his chief of staff, foreign and defense ministers, and top military officials from the presidential administration.
In a post, he stated, "On our side, we are fully committed to constructive dialogue, and we hope to discuss and agree on the necessary decisions and steps. Realistic proposals are on the table. The key is to move quickly and effectively."
US officials have said they plan to use the meeting with Ukrainian representatives to assess whether Kyiv is willing to make certain concessions to Russia to end the war.
