Ukraine, US Officials Meet In Saudi Arabia For Ceasefire As War Rages On Both Fronts

In a fresh diplomatic drive to bring an end to the three-year conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Ukrainian and US officials will be meeting Saudi Arabia later on Sunday. The talks will address a possible partial truce, after US President Donald Trump’s recent attempts at mediating peace.

The gathering will be held before planned US-Russia discussions on Monday in Saudi Arabia. US special envoy Steve Witkoff was hopeful that a breakthrough may be possible, especially on a Black Sea ceasefire to protect shipping. “I believe that (Russian President Vladimir Putin) wants peace,” Witkoff said in an interview with Fox News, and also hinted at a greater ceasefire.

White House National Security Adviser Mike Waltz said the talks involve confidence-building measures like talking about what’s happening with Ukrainian children being brought into Russia. In the meantime, last week, Putin acceded to Trump’s idea of a temporary ceasefire in attacks on each other’s energy facilities. But the deal has been overshadowed by ongoing strikes on either side.

Russian drone raids on Kyiv on Sunday killed a minimum of three, including a five-year-old, and inflicted widespread damage. In retaliation, Russian officials said they had intercepted 59 Ukrainian drones aimed at southwestern Russia, with a reported death in Rostov.

In the midst of rising violence, Ukraine has backed Trump’s appeal for an extended 30-day ceasefire. Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov will head the delegation in Riyadh to ensure Kyiv’s quick decision-making. Yet, Ukrainian officials have positioned the talks as technical negotiations, targeting ceasefire implementation and monitoring.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi stressed that the talks would define ceasefire modalities and not negotiate general terms. In spite of these negotiations, continuous attacks from both sides indicate the difficulty in achieving permanent peace.