U.S special envoy Steve Witkoff told the White House press corps Thursday that President Donald Trump’s initiative to end the Russia-Ukraine war was back on with direct talks planned for next week in Saudi Arabia, this time with a Ukrainian delegation with no one from Russian present. Photo by Al Drago/UPI |
License PhotoMarch 7 (UPI) — The United States will hold talks with Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia next week aimed at establishing a peace framework leading to an end to the three-year-long Ukraine-Russia war.
U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff attributed the thawing in relations, a week after a tense Oval Office meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, to a letter from Zelensky to Trump that included an apology and expressed gratitude for everything America had done for his country.
Witkoff told reporters Thursday at the White House that the United States was working to set a meeting with Ukrainian officials in Riyadh or Jeddah.
“So the city is moving around a little bit, but it will be Saudi Arabia. And I think the idea is to get down a framework for a peace agreement and an initial cease-fire as well,” Witkoff said.
“Hopefully, we get things back on track with the Ukrainians, and everything resumes. I think those are all decisions of the president, but I think he felt that Zelensky’s letter was a very positive first step.”
Witkoff did not provide further details about a stalled minerals deal allowing American companies access to Ukraine’s resources, including rare earths such as lithium and graphite used to make EV batteries, that Trump wants to power the American economy of the future.
“I think Zelensky has offered to sign it, and we’ll see if he follows through,” Witkoff said of the deal the Trump administration is demanding as recompense for the billions of dollars of military and financial assistance provided to Ukraine by U.S. taxpayers.
Zelensky was supposed to sign the agreement during his visit late last week but left without doing so after clashing with Trump over U.S. security guarantees, without which he said Ukraine could not sign onto any peace deal with Russia.
Confirming the talks, Zelensky said he was scheduled to meet with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday with his team staying on “to work with our American partners,” suggesting he would not be present in the first instance.
“Ukrainian and American teams have resumed work, and we hope that next week we will have a meaningful meeting,” Zelensky wrote in a post on X.
“Ukraine has been seeking peace since the very first moment of the war, and we have always stated that the war continues solely because of Russia. Ukraine is not only ready to take the necessary steps for peace, but we are also proposing those steps,” he said referencing his speech to an emergency EU summit Thursday called to shore up support for Ukraine and boost the bloc’s defense spending by as much as $841 billion.
