What will the Ukrainian and US delegations discuss in Jeddah?

On March 11, negotiations between Ukrainian and US delegations will take place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. This marks the first official meeting between Kyiv and Washington following tensions between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House. What will be discussed at these negotiations, and what outcomes are expected?

On Monday, Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Saudi Arabia for a meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. However, he will not participate in Tuesday's negotiations.

The Ukrainian president has expressed hope that the meeting will bring "both a step closer to peace and renewed support from Washington."

The Ukrainian delegation includes Andriy Yermak, head of the presidential office, his deputy Pavlo Palisa, Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha, and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.

The US delegation will be represented by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and Middle East Special Representative Steve Witkoff.

What Will Be Discussed?

"There will be a constructive atmosphere on our part, and we hope that we can discuss and agree on necessary decisions and steps. Ukraine has been striving for peace since the very beginning. Realistic proposals are on the table. The key is to act quickly and efficiently," Zelensky said on Saturday.

Previously, Steve Witkoff mentioned that discussions in Saudi Arabia would include the foundations of a possible conflict resolution and a potential ceasefire with Russia.

According to Reuters, citing two US officials, Washington intends to determine whether Ukraine is willing to make concessions to end the war.

Additionally, the US delegation will assess how serious Ukraine is about improving relations with the Trump administration after the recent White House dispute.

"You can't say 'I want peace' while at the same time refusing to compromise," one American official told Reuters.

"We want to see whether the Ukrainians are interested in peace for the sake of peace, or in a real peace," another source said. "If they are only focused on the 2014 or 2022 borders, that tells us something."

Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that his delegation wants to understand how far Ukraine is willing to go for peace. He reiterated that both sides may have to make territorial compromises.

"I'm not saying what they should or must do. We just want to hear how far they are willing to go and compare that with what the Russians want, then see how far apart we are," Rubio stated.

He also commented on Ukraine’s proposal for a ceasefire in the air and at sea, supporting the idea.

"I'm not saying it's enough, but concessions like these are needed to end the conflict," he added.

Ukraine Hopes to Restore US Military Support

AFP reports that Ukraine plans to propose a ceasefire in air and naval operations, arguing that such a measure would be "easy to implement and monitor."

Kyiv hopes the negotiations will persuade Washington to resume intelligence sharing and arms supplies, which were previously halted.

Marco Rubio indicated that the results of the meeting could influence the decision to resume military aid to Ukraine.

"If we can conclude the meeting with good results and report back to the president, I think decisions regarding the pause in assistance will be reconsidered," CNN quoted Rubio as saying.

Previously, Volodymyr Zelensky suggested a step-by-step peace process, including the release of prisoners and an immediate ceasefire on aerial and naval attacks.

How Is Russia Reacting?

Despite its dominance in the air and frequent drone and missile strikes on Ukrainian territory, Russia has rejected the idea of a temporary ceasefire, dismissing it as a tactic to buy time.

"We don't need pauses, temporary truces, or ceasefires that the enemy wants to use to rearm. We need a truly stable peace with legally binding agreements and mechanisms," said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.

Moscow also stressed that no Russia-US negotiations are planned this week.

However, according to Bloomberg, Trump’s Middle East special representative, Steve Witkoff, may visit Moscow within a week for talks with Vladimir Putin.

CNN previously reported that Trump administration officials plan to meet not only with Ukrainian but also with Russian officials this week.

Donald Trump expressed hope that negotiations in Saudi Arabia would lead to a "major breakthrough" in resolving the conflict.

The first round of US-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia took place on February 18. The Russian delegation included Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, presidential aide Yuri Ushakov, and the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) Kirill Dmitriev. The US delegation was led by Marco Rubio, Mike Waltz, and Steve Witkoff.

At that time, Zelensky stated that Ukraine would not accept any agreements made without its participation.

Analysis: A Ceasefire and a Peace Agreement Are Vastly Different
BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner:

Much now depends on whether US and Ukrainian officials in this week’s negotiations can agree on a "partial ceasefire."

This is the relatively easy part.

After angering Trump, Zelensky was forced to shift his rhetoric and declare that Ukraine genuinely wants peace, as it is highly dependent on US military and intelligence support.

But then comes the hard part.

Russia and Ukraine remain far apart on the terms of a final peace agreement.

Moscow has not significantly softened its initial demands since launching its full-scale invasion.

The Kremlin still expects Kyiv to abandon all four partially occupied regions, including those still under Ukrainian control.

Russia also insists that Ukraine must permanently renounce joining NATO or the EU and must accept a pro-Russian government in Kyiv.

In other words, Moscow is essentially demanding Ukraine’s capitulation. Follow “Zamin” news on “Telegram”