Senior officials from Ukraine and the United States have met in Saudi Arabia
The US and Ukraine have sat down to hold peace talks in the hopes of ending the Ukraine-Russia war.
Ukraine and Russia have been in conflict for more than three years, following Vladimir Putin’s decision to send troops to capture Kyiv, the capital, in February 2022.
While their efforts to seize Kyiv have not succeeded, Russian forces have managed to occupy almost 20 percent of Ukraine’s land.
Amid the continuing war, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Donald Trump last month.
The two leaders got together at the White House, and JD Vance and Marco Rubio were there too for the talks.
Things took a turn for the worse when Zelenskyy left the meeting in a hurry after Trump accused him of “playing with fire” regarding World War 3.
Since then, Zelenskyy has written a letter to Trump, expressing his willingness to negotiate a big minerals deal with the US.
Today, senior officials from both nations are meeting in Saudi Arabia (March 11).
Zelenskyy and Trump are not part of these discussions. The American team is being led by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, along with special envoy Steve Witkoff and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, according to CNBC.
Representing Ukraine are Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak and Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.
Also present are Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan and National Security Advisor Mosaad bin Mohammad Al-Aiban.
Discussions are being held in Saudi Arabia (SAUL LOEB/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Waltz updated reporters during ongoing talks, mentioning that the discussions are “getting there,” according to CNN.
Meanwhile, Yermak shared that the meeting began on a positive note.
“The meeting with the US team started off very well, and we are striving for a fair and lasting peace,” said the chief of staff to the president.
Before the meeting, Rubio talked about the need for both Ukraine and Russia to make some compromises.
“We need to understand what Ukraine is willing to give up because a ceasefire and an end to this war won’t happen unless both sides agree to some concessions,” he explained, as reported by Reuters.
Marco Rubio is leading the US side of the negotiations (SAUL LOEB/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Recent discussions in Saudi Arabia follow a significant event where Russian air defenses intercepted over 300 Ukrainian drones. This was the largest drone attack since Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
According to officials, the attack resulted in the deaths of three people and injuries to 18 others, including three children. However, there were no reports of major damage.
Featured Image Credit: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
