Trump hinted at a visit to Saudi Arabia in the coming weeks, suggesting it would involve a significant investment agreement.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced that he will travel to Saudi Arabia on Monday for talks with Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, ahead of diplomatic discussions with US officials later in the week.
“Next week, on Monday, my visit to Saudi Arabia is planned to meet the Crown Prince. After that, my team will remain in Saudi Arabia to work with our American partners. Ukraine is most interested in peace,” Zelensky stated.
US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, confirmed on Thursday that a meeting with Ukrainian representatives was set to take place in Saudi Arabia next week. He added that discussions were ongoing regarding a framework for a potential peace agreement and an initial ceasefire.
Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff said that discussions were ongoing regarding a framework for a potential peace agreement and an initial ceasefire.
Witkoff also noted that Trump was encouraged by a letter from Zelensky following last week’s tense White House meeting, which had led to a diplomatic fallout.
“He (Trump) felt that Zelensky’s letter was a very positive first step. There was an apology, an acknowledgment that the United States has done so much for Ukraine, and a sense of gratitude,” Witkoff said.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other officials are expected to travel to Riyadh on Tuesday for the meeting, where they will be joined by Andriy Yermak, a senior aide to Zelensky, according to media reports.
Meanwhile, Trump hinted at a visit to Saudi Arabia in the coming weeks, suggesting it would involve a significant investment agreement.
“I’m going to Saudi Arabia. I said, I’ll go if you pay a trillion dollars—$1 trillion to American companies—spreading the purchase over a four-year period. They’ve agreed to do that, so I’m going there,” Trump said, suggesting a major trade deal was in the works.
This upcoming meeting marks a thaw in US-Ukraine relations following last week’s Oval Office confrontation, which led to Washington cutting off military aid to Kyiv and halting intelligence-sharing with the Ukrainian armed forces.
The announcement comes as Zelensky attended an emergency summit in Brussels, where European Union leaders gathered to discuss the Russia-Ukraine war and broader European security concerns.
At the summit, EU leaders endorsed new defence spending plans aimed at mobilising billions of euros for the continent’s security, following Trump’s remarks that Europe should take greater responsibility for its own defence.
The EU’s executive body estimates that approximately 650 billion euros could be freed up through eased budget restrictions, allowing member states to boost military spending.
Additionally, some Eastern European leaders welcomed a proposal from French President Emmanuel Macron to explore greater nuclear deterrence cooperation. However, Russia dismissed the suggestion as “extremely confrontational.”
The EU leaders also approved an ambitious €800 billion initiative, proposed by the European Commission, aimed at strengthening Europe’s military capabilities in response to perceived threats from Moscow.
At the summit, Zelensky reassured EU leaders that negotiations with US officials had “resumed,” and that he expected a “meaningful meeting” in Saudi Arabia next week. He also expressed appreciation for the EU’s continued support, amid concerns that American outreach to Russia could pressure Ukraine into an unfavourable agreement.
“We are very thankful that we are not alone,” Zelensky said.
The Brussels summit followed last week’s diplomatic row in Washington, during which Trump and Zelensky clashed, leading to the US temporarily suspending military aid and intelligence-sharing with Ukraine.
With US and Ukrainian officials set to meet in Riyadh, the diplomatic developments in Saudi Arabia could prove pivotal in determining the future course of the conflict and Ukraine’s relationship with its Western allies.
