KYIV, Ukraine – Talks between US and Ukrainian officials are set to take place in Saudi Arabia next week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced, calling it a step toward achieving a “fast and lasting” peace.
However, the high-stakes meeting follows a sharp deterioration in US-Ukraine relations, with Washington pausing military aid and intelligence sharing after a tense public exchange between Zelensky and former President Donald Trump.
While Zelensky will be in Saudi Arabia, he will not personally attend the negotiations.
The discussions will focus on a potential framework for peace, according to US special envoy Steve Witkoff.
The Trump administration has pushed Kyiv to make concessions, while Ukraine has insisted on firm security guarantees.
Last week’s White House meeting between Zelensky and Trump turned contentious, with Trump declaring that the Ukrainian leader was not ready to end the war with Russia.
The fallout was immediate: the US put military aid to Ukraine on hold and cut off intelligence sharing.
Seeking to mend ties, Zelensky later sent a letter to Trump expressing what Witkoff described as an “apology” and “sense of gratitude.”
“Hopefully, we get things back on track with the Ukrainians, and everything resumes,” Witkoff told reporters on Thursday.
Despite the friction, Zelensky stressed that Ukraine remains committed to peace efforts.
“Ukrainian and American teams have resumed work, and we hope that next week we will have a meaningful meeting,” he wrote on X.
The planned talks come as Ukraine faces increasing pressure from its allies to consider negotiations with Russia.
European leaders, gathered at a crisis summit in Brussels this week, reaffirmed their support for Ukraine while also pushing for new diplomatic initiatives.
French President Emmanuel Macron recently proposed a ceasefire plan that would halt attacks on civilian infrastructure and establish a truce in the air and at sea. Russia has yet to respond publicly.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has signaled that Moscow would only accept a settlement that secures its long-term interests.
“We don’t need anything that belongs to others, but we won’t give up anything that belongs to us either,” Putin said on Thursday, reinforcing Russia’s claims over Ukrainian territories it has occupied since launching a full-scale invasion in 2022.
The Trump administration’s decision to cut military aid to Ukraine has been framed by officials as a strategy to pressure Kyiv into cooperating with US-led peace efforts.
However, there has been no public indication that Washington is applying similar pressure on Moscow.
Last month, preliminary US-Russia talks were held in Saudi Arabia—without Ukraine or European representatives at the table—raising concerns among Kyiv’s allies about Washington’s approach.
