Photo: Getty Images/NurPhoto/Maxym Marusenko
Key players from Ukraine
Ukraine will send a delegation to Saudi Arabia to meet with US representatives, headed by the head of the Presidential Office, Andriy Yermak. He will be accompanied by Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Yulia Svyrydenko, and Yermak’s deputy Pavlo Palisa.
Later, it became known that Defence Minister Rustem Umerov would also join the delegation, and Volodymyr Zelenskyy would meet with the Saudi Crown Prince on Monday.
The main goal of the negotiations
The key topics of the meeting will be agreements on strategic minerals and the resumption of dialogue with Washington after the scandalous meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump on 28 February, which ended in a public dispute.
Saudi Arabia is acting as a mediator in the negotiations between Ukraine and the US, which could play an important role in Kyiv’s future relations with Washington.
What does Zelensky say?
The President of Ukraine confirmed the meeting with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia and stressed that the Ukrainian side was ready for a constructive dialogue.
Zelensky’s direct speech:
“We will have a clear commitment to constructive approach, and we hope that we will be able to discuss and agree on the necessary decisions and steps. Ukraine has been seeking peace since the first second of this war.”
Why is this important?
These talks could be key to Kyiv’s future relations with Washington, as well as to attracting additional international support. The outcome of the meeting is expected to affect Ukraine’s strategic plans and economic opportunities in the mining sector.
