No U.S.-Russia meetings will take place this week, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova told Russian state-owned news agency TASS on March 10, disputing claims in the media.
"(A meeting) is not planned. Moreover, we received no information from the American side," Zakharova said in response to a journalist's question.
This comes as CNN reported, citing a source, that the U.S. will hold separate meetings with Ukrainian and Russian officials in Saudi Arabia this week. The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify the claims.
The possible meeting would follow previous rounds of U.S.-Russia talks in Riyadh on Feb. 18 and Istanbul on Feb. 27.
The news came amid U.S. President Donald Trump’s push for a swift settlement to the war, raising concerns that Washington is sidelining Ukraine and European allies in the process.
Ukrainian and U.S. delegations are set to meet in Jeddah on March 11 to discuss a potential peace agreement with Russia and negotiations on a critical minerals deal.
U.S. officials will reportedly assess Ukraine’s willingness to mend ties with Washington following a contentious Oval Office exchange between Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky on Feb. 28.
The fallout from that meeting led to the suspension of all U.S. military aid to Ukraine, worth billions, and a halt in intelligence sharing, potentially hampering Ukraine’s ability to detect Russian missile strikes and conduct long-range attacks.
The Financial Times reported that Ukraine is expected to push for the restoration of U.S. military and intelligence support at the March 11 meeting.
As part of its negotiating position, Kyiv is reportedly prepared to propose a partial ceasefire covering long-range drone and missile strikes, as well as hostilities in the Black Sea, in hopes of securing renewed U.S. backing.
Trump told reporters on March 9 that he expects Ukraine to sign the long-debated critical minerals deal with the U.S. but also wants to see indications that Kyiv is prepared for peace.
Zelensky and European leaders have repeatedly stressed that security guarantees, including long-term U.S. support, must accompany any ceasefire agreement.
Washington has yet to provide such assurances. Following his meeting with Trump, Zelensky reaffirmed Ukraine’s commitment to working with the U.S. toward a negotiated settlement.
Volodymyr Ivanyshyn
(Updated: )
