US and Ukrainian Officials to Convene in Saudi Arabia for Ceasefire Negotiations

March 6, 2025 TruthUSA

Efforts are underway to establish a peace framework following a highly publicized rift between the leaders of the two nations.

The United States and Ukraine are collaborating on organizing a meeting in Saudi Arabia to outline initial cease-fire terms aimed at ceasing hostilities between Moscow and Kyiv.

On March 6, Steve Witkoff, the U.S. special envoy for the Middle East, informed reporters at the White House that President Donald Trump had received a letter from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, expressing his readiness to present the initial terms for a cease-fire with Russia.

“The president viewed it as a very positive first step, and as a result, we are now engaged in discussions to arrange a meeting with the Ukrainians … with the goal of establishing a framework for a peace agreement and an initial cease-fire,” Witkoff stated.

This announcement comes in the wake of a well-publicized dispute between Washington and Kyiv that transpired late last month, where Trump accused Zelenskyy of failing to show sufficient gratitude for American support and suggested Ukraine should be prepared to make more concessions to Russia to secure peace.

In the aftermath of that meeting, Trump decided earlier this week to suspend all assistance to Ukraine, including intelligence sharing that has been vital for tracking Russian troop movements.

Witkoff noted that Zelenskyy’s letter to Trump fulfilled the American leader’s expectation for an apology and expression of gratitude, suggesting that intelligence sharing might resume post-meeting.

“There was an apology, an acknowledgment of the significant support the United States has provided to Ukraine, and a general sense of gratitude,” Witkoff remarked.

“I would expect that we will get things back on the right track with the Ukrainians soon, and everything will resume,” he added.

Witkoff mentioned that the meeting is anticipated to occur next week, and national security adviser Mike Waltz is spearheading discussions to determine who will form the primary diplomatic team tasked with the negotiations.

Official representatives responsible for diplomacy with Ukraine and Russia during the peace process will be announced to both Moscow and Kyiv, he added.

Strains between Trump and Zelenskyy have been persistent, stemming from their differing views on how to bring an end to Russia’s invasion.

Trump has urged Ukraine to accept a cease-fire without guarantees of security from the United States and to agree to a deal that would grant Washington access to large reserves of rare earth metals in exchange for ongoing security aid.

Zelenskyy has insisted that Kyiv require assurances from the United States and Europe to defend the unoccupied regions of Ukraine during peace negotiations, rather than merely allowing Russia to regroup for another attack.

In reaction, European leaders have fast-tracked a previous initiative proposing to increase defense spending by over $800 billion across the continent over the next decade, and have urged Zelenskyy to reconcile with the United States to secure access to vital security resources exclusively provided by Washington.

In further developments, European leaders have tentatively supported Zelenskyy’s recent call to temporarily cease hostilities in both air and sea domains.

Under this proposal, British and French troops would be deployed to Ukraine in a subsequent phase of cease-fire following the cessation of hostilities to help ensure lasting peace.

Witkoff expressed on March 6 that Trump believes Zelenskyy genuinely seeks to negotiate a peace deal, and that there exists a viable pathway to achieving this.

“The president has indicated there’s a way forward, and President Zelenskyy has shown he is committed to that good faith effort,” Witkoff concluded.

“He has apologized, expressed gratitude, and conveyed his desire to work towards peace.”

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