Ukrainian and American officials met in Saudi Arabia for their first high-level meeting since the Oval Office argument between their presidents in an effort to halt the ongoing conflict. Ukraine has proposed an immediate cessation of air and sea strikes, while the United States is pushing for a comprehensive cease-fire. Russia, whose representatives were not present at the talks, has signaled that it wants concessions before halting the war. The hope is that these talks will lead to the first negotiated reduction in fighting in the three-year conflict.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized that Ukraine would have to make concessions over land taken by Russia in 2014 as part of any peace agreement. The Ukrainian delegation, led by President Zelensky’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak, expressed openness to any dialogue that would bring about a settlement. However, they stressed the importance of security guarantees, which has become a contentious issue in negotiations. The proposal for a truce at sea and in the air may be brought up tentatively as part of the discussions.
After a tumultuous meeting between President Trump and President Zelensky last month, where insults were exchanged, the two countries are working to smooth over relations. Ukraine has been consulting with French and British officials on how to approach negotiations with the United States. Ukraine’s detailed proposals include a partial cease-fire and an all-for-all exchange of prisoners of war. In return, they are seeking a resumption of American military aid and intelligence sharing that was suspended after the Oval Office incident.
President Zelensky’s proposal for a partial cease-fire last week, supported by President Macron of France, has yet to receive a direct response from Russia. Russia has publicly called for conditions to be imposed before a cease-fire takes effect, including guarantees that Ukraine will not join NATO. The talks also pose a challenging situation for Ukraine as they navigate adapting to an ally that is now adopting the positions of their enemy. Both Russia and the Trump administration have questioned Zelensky’s legitimacy and accused Ukraine of starting the war.
Ukraine’s broader goals in the talks with the United States are to mitigate the impact of America’s pivot towards Russia under Trump in order to buy time for European states to increase aid to Ukraine. It is essential for Ukraine to ensure that any cease-fire agreement has an enforcement mechanism in place. Analysts and former Ukrainian officials believe that a prolonged pause in fighting could allow Russia to rebuild its forces and pose a threat in the future. The hope is to reach a settlement that guarantees peace and stability for Ukraine in the long term.
