Zelenskiy lands in Saudi Arabia as US voices high hopes for Ukraine talks

By Pesha Magid, JEDDAH Saudi Arabia 

President of Ukraine,  Volodymyr Zelenskiy, landed in Saudi Arabia on Monday to meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, a day before talks between Ukrainian and U.S. officials that Washington expects to deliver substantial progress towards ending the war with Russia.

The United States, once Ukraine's main ally, has upended its wartime policies in its stated pursuit of a rapid end to the fighting, engaging directly with Moscow while stopping military assistance and intelligence sharing for Kyiv.

Grappling with the new approach in the White House, Ukraine has pushed for "pragmatic" relations after a disastrous Oval Office encounter between Zelenskiy and U.S. President Donald Trump descended into acrimony last month.

Zelenskiy is expected later on Monday to meet the Saudi crown prince, whose country has played mediating roles since Russia's 2022 invasion, including brokering prisoner exchanges and hosting last month's talks between Moscow and Washington.

Tuesday's talks between U.S. and Ukrainian officials are the first official meeting since Zelenskiy's abortive White House meeting, and Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff said he had high hopes going into the talks.

"I think that we're going over there with an expectation that we're going to make substantial progress," Witkoff said in an interview with Fox News.

Asked if he thought Zelenskiy would return to the U.S. to sign a minerals deal this week, Witkoff said: "I am really hopeful. All the signs are very, very positive."

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking to reporters en route for Jeddah on Monday, echoed that optimism, although he stressed there were still more details to be worked out on the minerals deal.

Under huge pressure from Trump, Zelenskiy has been at pains to show they are on the same page, despite failing to win U.S. security guarantees that Kyiv sees as vital for any peace deal.

Zelenskiy has said he will not attend Tuesday's talks with U.S. officials and that the Ukrainian delegation will include his chief of staff, his foreign and defence ministers and a top military official in the presidential administration.

"On our side, we are fully committed to constructive dialogue, and we hope to discuss and agree on the necessary decisions and steps," Zelenskiy said in a post on X.

"Realistic proposals are on the table. The key is to move quickly and effectively."