A high-level Ukrainian delegation has arrived in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for pivotal talks with U.S. officials aimed at reviving military support and shaping the path toward a negotiated end to Russia’s full-scale invasion, according to the head of Ukraine’s Presidential Office, Andriy Yermak.
“Protecting Ukrainian interests, clear vision on how to end the war; we will work effectively with our American partners,” Yermak wrote on Telegram ahead of the March 11 discussions.
According to the Kyiv Independent, the delegation includes Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, Deputy Chief of Staff Pavlo Palisa, and is led by Yermak himself. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who arrived in Saudi Arabia on March 10 for a separate meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, will not attend the official negotiations.
Representing the U.S. side are Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and Trump’s special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff.
The meeting comes at a time of sharp tension between Kyiv and Washington, following a February 28 Oval Office confrontation between Zelenskyy and U.S. President Donald Trump. In the wake of that clash, the U.S. froze all military aid and halted intelligence sharing with Ukraine—two key pillars of the country's defense against Russia.
On March 5, CIA Director John Ratcliffe confirmed the intelligence pause, saying it was part of a broader diplomatic push to “hold everyone accountable to drive peace around the world.”
What Ukraine Wants
At the Jeddah meeting, Ukraine is expected to propose a ceasefire in the air and at sea, as well as a ban on long-range missile strikes, which Kyiv argues would be easy to monitor and enforce, according to Ukraine’s public broadcaster Suspilne.
The goal is to create a confidence-building measure that doesn’t sacrifice Ukrainian territory or strategic leverage, while also opening the door for further diplomatic engagement.
More urgently, Kyiv hopes to reopen U.S. military and intelligence pipelines that were cut earlier this month. Ukrainian officials say the suspension has hampered Ukraine’s ability to plan and conduct long-range operations inside Russian-occupied territory.
What the U.S. Wants
According to Bloomberg, the American delegation will push for a partial truce as a starting point for peace negotiations—something that could ease tensions with Moscow but is likely to be politically sensitive in Kyiv, especially given Russia's previous violations of ceasefire agreements.
The talks in Jeddah follow two prior U.S.-Russia meetings—first in Saudi Arabia on February 18 and again in Istanbul on February 27—where Washington reportedly discussed bilateral relations and preliminary peace frameworks without Ukraine’s participation.
Behind Closed Doors
Though no formal announcements are expected immediately after the Jeddah meeting, its outcome could significantly shape the next phase of the war and Ukraine’s place in broader U.S. foreign policy.
As Zelenskyy made clear before departing for the Gulf, Ukraine remains committed to "constructive diplomacy" but insists that any peace deal must preserve the country’s sovereignty and long-term security.
