Ukrainian President Volodimia Zelensky was scheduled to meet Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday as he worked to repair tense relations with the US and secure a lucrative deal to end his own war with Russia.
A meeting between Zelensky and Prince Mohammed, the de facto Saudi leader who has been trying to play a central role in the global diplomatic phase, comes ahead of planned consultations between Ukrainians and US officials in the US Gulf state on Tuesday.
The Crown Prince, who once shunned internationally due to accusations of human rights abuses he denied, positioned his country as an intermediary in his efforts to end the Russian-Ukraine war. Last year, Saudi Arabia played a pivotal role in the complex US-Russian prisoner swap, suggesting that there could be a possible meeting between him and Russian President Vladimir V. Putin.
Last month, Zelensky postponed a trip to Saudi Arabia after holding an extraordinary meeting between Saudi Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his Russian counterpart Sergei V. Lavrov.
However, on Saturday, Zelensky said he would visit Saudi Arabia on social media, declaring that he “is determined to do everything to end this war with a lasting and enduring peace.”
“Ukraine has been seeking peace since the first seconds of this war,” he wrote of a full-scale conflict that began with the Russian invasion three years ago. “There are realistic suggestions on the table. The key is to move quickly and effectively.”
Zelensky added that he would not attend consultations with US officials, but that the Ukrainian delegation would include the country's foreign and defense minister, top military officials and the president's chief of staff.
The Ukrainian president has put strong pressure from the Trump administration to agree to a peace deal, and he appears to readjust his message after he angeredly attacked in an oval office 10 days ago about what Trump, Vice President and JD Vance described as a lack of gratitude for US support.
Trump has repeatedly said that Zelensky “doesn't have the card” given to Russian military power, demanding that Ukraine accept the diplomatic terms set by the US for a resolution to war. Still, there are signs that Ukraine's position on the battlefield is improving. The Ukrainian forces have stopped Russian attacks in recent months, and have acquired small patches of small lands in some places.
Steve Witkov, the Trump administration's special envoy to the Middle East, said Zelensky was cautious after the White House explosion improved Ukraine's position with American officials. Nevertheless, the US suspends military support for Ukraine.
Zelensky wrote on Saturday that he was “fully committed to constructive dialogue,” and that he would “want to discuss and agree on the necessary decisions and measures” during his visit to Saudi Arabia. Rubio was in the city of Jeddah, the seaside Saudi city for consultations with Ukrainian officials from Monday to Wednesday, and was expected to meet Prince Mohammed after arriving on Monday evening.
Trump's position on Russia and Ukraine can be difficult to pinpoint. On Friday, he said on social media that he was considering important sanctions against Russia to enforce a peace deal in Ukraine. He demanded that both countries “reach the table now before it's too late.”
Hours later, he told White House reporters that he felt his talk with Russia was on track and “frankly, I feel that it's more difficult to deal with Ukraine.”
For Prince Mohammed, acting as a war mediator is an opportunity to solidify his influence across the Middle East. Saudi Arabia shunned the allies of the conflict, and in August 2023, the kingdom held a meeting in Jeddah with representatives from more than 40 countries to discuss the path to peace. Ukraine said the talks were “fruitful” but Russia, which was not invited, has denied the meeting.
Ismaeel Naar contributed to the report from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
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