Senior U.S. and Ukrainian officials expected to meet in Saudi Arabia next week
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Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky. Photo: Tetiana Dzhafarova/Pool/AFP via Getty Images
Senior U.S. and Ukrainian officials are expected to meet in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday to discuss efforts to reach a ceasefire in the war with Russia, two sources with knowledge of the meeting said.
Why it matters: It will be the first high-level meeting between the countries since the public spat between President Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office last week.
- The clash led to an unprecedented crisis between the U.S. and Ukraine and to the suspension of U.S. weapons shipments and intelligence sharing with Ukraine.
The latest: Saudi Arabia on Friday confirmed the meeting between the U.S. and Ukraine will take place next week in Jeddah.
Driving the news: The meeting in Saudi Arabia comes after a similar meeting U.S. officials had with their Russian counterparts in Riyadh two weeks ago.
- That meeting created anxiety and anger among Ukrainian leaders who were upset they weren't invited to participate and heard about the meeting from media reports.
Behind the scenes: The upcoming meeting was scheduled on Wednesday during a phone call between White House national security adviser Mike Waltz and Zelensky's chief of staff Andriy Yermak, one source said.
- White House envoy Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are expected to join Waltz for the meeting, the two sources said. Yermak will lead the Ukrainian delegation.
- Zelensky is expected to visit Saudi Arabia next Monday and Tuesday and meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, according to a Ukrainian official.
The latest: Witkoff confirmed in a briefing with reporters at the White House on Thursday that the meeting will take place in Saudi Arabia and said it will focus on getting an initial ceasefire and a framework for a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.
- Witkoff said Trump saw Zelensky's letter "as a good first step — there was an apology and acknowledgment that the U.S. has done so much for Ukraine and a sense of gratitude."
- "I think it [will] be a good meeting. Hopefully it would be a good signal to the Russians," he said.
What they're saying: Zelensky said on Thursday in Brussels that Ukraine and the U.S. "have resumed work" and expressed hope that "a meaningful meeting will take place next week."
- The White House and Yermak's office didn't comment.
What to watch: Ukrainian officials say they are still ready to sign the U.S.-Ukraine minerals deal that Zelensky and Trump were supposed to sign on Friday but was put on hold after their meeting in the Oval Office.
Editor's note: This story was updated with additional details.
