US and Ukraine to meet in Saudi Arabia after disastrous White House talks

11/3/2025 13:21

U.S. and Ukrainian officials were to meet in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for talks aimed at mending ties and gauging if Ukraine is willing to make concessions under President Donald Trump's push to end Russia's war with Ukraine swiftly.



Washington, Ukraine's main ally before Trump's inauguration in January, has upended its policy on the conflict to pursue a rapid end to the fighting. Trump has engaged directly with Moscow, stopped military assistance to Kyiv and paused intelligence sharing with Ukraine, which Russian troops invaded at scale in 2022.



A stunning White House clash last month between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy deeply soured relations.



That left in limbo a minerals deal that Trump framed as key to continued U.S. support and compensation for some $65 billion in U.S. military aid to Ukraine since Russia invaded three years ago.



Under intense U.S. pressure, Zelenskiy has been at pains to show that Kyiv is committed to ending the war, despite failing to win U.S. security guarantees in the minerals accord that Kyiv sees as vital for any peace deal.