The US government believes Ukraine’s leadership is now “ready to move forward” with Washington’s demand for a ceasefire process with Russia, according to a senior State Department official.
The statement comes as top US officials prepare for high-stakes talks with their Ukrainian counterparts in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz are set to meet Ukrainian representatives in Jeddah, amid increasing pressure from President Donald Trump for Ukraine to agree to a swift ceasefire with Moscow. However, Trump has not offered any immediate US security guarantees to Kyiv as part of the deal.
Ten days ago, tensions between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reached a boiling point during a heated exchange at the White House. Trump publicly accused Zelensky of being unwilling to end the war, while the Ukrainian leader has insisted that any peace agreement must include firm security assurances from Washington.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Moscow has seized control of about 20% of Ukrainian territory. While Ukraine has relied heavily on US military aid, the Biden administration’s policies toward Kyiv shifted sharply after Trump returned to office. Trump has demanded Ukraine make concessions in peace talks, while Zelensky has warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin has a history of violating previous ceasefire agreements.
The upcoming talks in Saudi Arabia will see Ukraine represented by Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, along with the country’s national security adviser and foreign and defense ministers. Although Zelensky is also traveling to the Gulf kingdom, he is not expected to take part in formal negotiations with the US delegation.
Zelensky has recently attempted to mend relations with Washington, following the White House dispute that led to the US temporarily freezing military aid and halting intelligence-sharing with Ukraine. Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, revealed that the Ukrainian president had sent a letter to Trump expressing “apology” and “gratitude,” signaling an effort to smooth tensions.
Trump has also raised the possibility of imposing additional sanctions on Russia if Ukraine agrees to peace terms. “Russia is absolutely ‘pounding’ Ukraine on the battlefield right now,” he said on Friday, suggesting that a new deal with Kyiv could involve economic pressure on Moscow.
Beyond the ceasefire discussions, reports indicate that a stalled minerals deal between the US and Ukraine may also be revived in Saudi Arabia. Ukraine has offered Washington access to its rare earth mineral reserves in exchange for stronger security guarantees. However, Ukrainian officials have stated that Kyiv will not accept a deal that compromises the country’s sovereignty or its military position against Russia.
