Zelenskyy Departs for Saudia Arabia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy traveled to Saudi Arabia on March 10 to meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Orda.kz reports.

New talks between Ukraine and the United States on resolving the Russian-Ukrainian conflict are scheduled for the following day.

According to Reuters, Saudi Arabia has been playing an increasingly significant role in the negotiation process.

The Kingdom has previously facilitated prisoner exchanges between Ukraine and Russia and hosted Russian and American delegations last month. With the United States engaging in discussions with Russia independently, Zelenskyy's efforts to secure Saudi support have become more critical.

On March 11, U.S. and Ukrainian officials will convene for their first meeting since the unsuccessful summit between Zelenskyy and President Trump in Washington. They will discuss a rare earth agreement and potential pathways to end the Russia-Ukraine war.

According to Reuters, Zelenskyy has indicated he will not attend Tuesday's discussions with American officials. Instead, Ukraine will be represented by a delegation that includes his chief of staff, the defense and foreign ministers, and a high-ranking military official.

The United States has indicated that it expects Kyiv to consider compromising to pursue a diplomatic resolution. According to a Reuters source, the US wants to ensure Ukraine is committed to "not just peace, but realistic peace."

The specific terms of such a "realistic peace" remain undefined.

Zelenskyy has proposed a ceasefire that would halt hostilities on both land and sea, along with a prisoner exchange. However, the Kremlin has shown little interest in these proposals.

Original Author: Nikita Drobny