President Volodymyr Zelensky said he would travel to Saudi Arabia on March 10 and meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman before talks with U.S. partners.
Zelensky initially intended to visit Saudi Arabia as part of a Middle East tour in February but delayed the trip due to bilateral U.S.-Russian talks in Riyadh on Feb. 18. The Gulf countries have traditionally played the role of a mediator between Russia and Ukraine, namely in regard to prisoner exchanges.
Following Zelensky's meeting with the Saudi crown prince, the Ukrainian president's team will remain in the country on March 11 to meet U.S. delegates and discuss the framework for a potential peace agreement.
This would mark the first high-level meeting between the two sides since the heated exchange between Zelensky, U.S. President Donald Trump, and U.S. Vice President JD Vance in the White House on Feb. 28.
The televised clash derailed plans for the signing of a natural resources agreement and preceded the U.S. freezing all military and intelligence support for Kyiv amid ongoing hostilities with Russia.
"Ukraine is most interested in peace. As we told (President Donald Trump), Ukraine is working and will continue to work constructively for a swift and reliable peace," Zelensky said on X.
Top U.S. officials signaled that Zelensky's recent statements on a peaceful resolution of the war have been received positively in the White House and might lead to the resumption of military aid.
Ukraine has repeatedly voiced readiness for peace but stressed that any ceasefire would be short-lived without clear security guarantees to deter Russian aggression. The Trump administration has refused such commitments and instead called upon Europe to take responsibility for Ukraine's post-war stability.
Asami Terajima
(Updated: )
