By Senior Trump administration figures are planning to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Saudi Arabia next week, officials on both sides said Thursday, as Ukraine scrambles to repair its tattered relationship with Washington, its largest benefactor.
It’s the latest diplomatic turn for the Gulf theocracy. Saudi Arabia, which watchdogs accuse of widespread human rights abuses, has instituted some reforms in recent years.
President Donald Trump said later Thursday that his first foreign visit would be to the kingdom and that, in return, the nation’s monarchy had offered to invest $1 trillion in American companies.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Brussels on Thursday.Thierry Monasse / Getty Images
Next week’s meeting is set to be between Zelenskyy, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and national security adviser Mike Waltz, Witkoff told reporters Thursday. He added that the venue will either be the capital, Riyadh, or the Red Sea city of Jeddah.
“I think the idea is to get down a framework for a peace agreement and an initial ceasefire,” he said. “We are now in discussions to coordinate a meeting with the Ukrainians.”
Zelenskyy confirmed the summit in a post on X, saying it would come after he meets with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday. “Ukraine is most interested in peace,” he wrote. “As we told @POTUS, Ukraine is working and will continue to work constructively for a swift and reliable peace.”
American-Ukrainian relations hit a low during last week’s extraordinary Oval Office shouting match between Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Zelenskyy. That led to the U.S. cutting off military aid and intelligence sharing, something experts said could cost the lives of more Ukrainian troops and civilians.
