Zelenskyy says Ukraine and US will hold talks next week
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that his country will hold talks with the US next week to discuss ending the war with Russia.
In his nightly address, Mr Zelenskyy said he would travel to Saudi Arabia on Monday and his team would stay there to hold talks with US officials, News.Az reports citing foreign media.
“I am scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia to meet with the crown prince,” said Mr Zelenskyy, referring to Mohammed bin Salman, the heir to the throne of the oil-rich kingdom. “After that, my team will stay in Saudi Arabia to work with American partners. Ukraine is most interested in peace.”
He added: “As we told President Trump, Ukraine is working and will work exclusively constructively for a quick and reliable peace.”
In an exchange with reporters on Thursday, US President Donald Trump said he believed his administration had made “a lot of progress” in recent days with both Ukraine and Russia, but did not specify how.
“I think what’s going to happen is Ukraine wants to make a deal, because I don’t think they have a choice,” Mr Trump said.
“I also think that Russia wants to make a deal because in a certain different way — a different way that only I know, only I know — they have no choice either.”
Trump special envoy Steve Witkoff confirmed that senior administration officials are arranging to hold talks with top Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia.
Mr Witkoff noted that Mr Zelenskyy has been apologetic in recent days about the White House blow-up and expressed gratitude.
He was circumspect about whether a minerals deal would be signed during the meeting in Saudi Arabia.
“We’ll see if he follows through,” Mr Witkoff said.
The announcement came as European Union leaders held emergency talks about ways to quickly increase their military budgets after the Trump administration signalled that Europe must take care of its own security and also suspended assistance to Ukraine.
In just over a month, Mr Trump has overturned old certainties about US reliability as a security partner, as he embraces Russia and withdraws American support for Ukraine.
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