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By Maya Mehrara and Shane Croucher
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A partial ceasefire and the critical minerals deal were both discussed in the first round of talks between the U.S. and Ukraine in Saudi Arabia, according to Ukraine's public broadcaster.
Newsweek reached out to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine for comment via email outside of business hours. Newsweek also reached out to the U.S. Department of State for comment via email.
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Why It Matters
The U.S.' talks with Ukraine in Saudi Arabia come shortly after President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's explosive meeting at the White House on February 28.
The U.S. and Ukraine need to mend fences to not prolong the peace negotiations and the war any further, as a consensus between the two countries could lead to a swift end to a war that has cost hundreds of thousands of lives since 2022.
Without the U.S.' aid, Ukraine may not be able to achieve peace with Russia and both Moscow and Kyiv may continue to suffer increased casualties, as well as social and economic issues.
What To Know
During the first round of talks in Jeddah, an unidentified source familiar with the meeting said that representatives from Washington and Kyiv have discussed Ukraine's proposal of a partial ceasefire in the sky and sea, as initially put forward by Zelensky in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, on March 4.
The officials also discussed the U.S.-Ukraine rare earths deal, which Zelensky and Trump previously spoke about during their meeting in Washington, which ended in a heated debate that resulted in no deal. Zelensky had rejected the rare earths deal in February because it did not contain security guarantees for Ukraine.
The second round of talks is reportedly underway, although it has not been disclosed what they will be focused on.
Zelensky wrote on X on March 8 that those representing Ukraine at the Saudi Arabia meeting would include himself, Andriy Yermak, a top Zelensky aide, Andriy Sybiha, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Rustem Umerov, the Minister of Defense, and Pavlo Palisa, a colonel in Kyiv's armed forces.
He also noted prior to the meeting that Ukraine is "fully committed to constructive dialogue, and we hope to discuss and agree on the necessary decisions and steps."
Those representing the U.S. in Jeddah are Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz.
Oleksiy Goncharenko, a Ukrainian MP told Newsweek on Monday that the meeting's primary aim would be to improve ties between Washington and Kyiv. He also said that he is hopeful that there will be a breakthrough regarding the sharing of U.S. intelligence with Ukraine, but did not have the same confidence regarding the U.S. resuming the provision of military aid.
Goncharenko's comments are in reference to Trump's halting all U.S. military aid and stopping allies from sharing U.S.-generated intelligence with Ukraine following his explosive meeting with Zelensky in the Oval Office.
Officials also told the Financial Times that during the meeting, Ukraine would propose a partial ceasefire with Russia for long-range drone and missile strikes and combat operations in the Black Sea if Washington agrees to reverse its decisions regarding the provision of aid and sharing of intelligence.
Rubio suggested on March 10 that the ban on the U.S. sending aid and sharing intelligence with Kyiv could be lifted if the meeting in Saudi Arabia went well.
Prior to peace talks, both Zelensky and Rubio met with the Saudi kingdom's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
What People Are Saying
When asked by CNN how the meeting was going earlier, Waltz said it was"getting there."
In a post on X about the meeting, Yermak wrote: "Work in progress," with the American and Ukrainian flag emojis.
In a previous post on X, Yermak said: "The meeting started very constructively. We are working."
According to the U.S. Department of State's transcription of Rubio's remarks to the press, he said prior to the meeting: "I'm not going to set any conditions on what [the Ukrainians] have to or need to do. I think we want to listen to see how far they're willing to go and then compare that to what the Russians want and see how far apart we truly are."
What Happens Next
After the U.S. has had numerous peace talks with Russia, Steve Witkoff, Trump's envoy to the Middle East, will go to Moscow to meet with Russian president Vladimir Putin, according to Reuters.
It is unclear at this time if the U.S. and Ukraine have made any progress towards starting a partial ceasefire or signing the minerals deal.
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