Rubio, Zelenskyy Arrive in Saudi Arabia for Key War Discussions

TDT | Manama
Email : editor@newsofbahrain.com

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio voiced optimism ahead of high-stakes discussions between the United States and Ukraine set to take place in Jeddah on Tuesday. Expressing gratitude to Saudi Arabia for hosting the talks, Rubio stated, "We are optimistic about tomorrow's meeting and grateful to Saudi Arabia for hosting the conference."

Both Rubio and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in the Red Sea port city within hours of each other ahead of the summit. While no direct meeting between the two leaders has been confirmed, Rubio is scheduled to meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Speaking to reporters aboard his flight, Rubio emphasized that he and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz will assess Ukraine’s stance on potential negotiations. "If Ukraine and the U.S. can reach an understanding acceptable to President Trump, this could accelerate efforts toward peace talks," he said.

Acknowledging the heavy toll of the war, Rubio underscored the importance of understanding Ukraine’s openness to peace discussions and potential compromises. "It has been a costly and bloody war for the Ukrainians. They have suffered greatly, and their people have suffered greatly," he noted. While recognizing the difficulty of discussions on concessions, he stressed their necessity in achieving an end to the conflict and preventing further suffering.

"I’m not going to set conditions on what they have to do," Rubio stated. "We want to listen, see how far they are willing to go, and then compare that with Russia’s stance to determine the real gap between them."

The secretary of state also suggested that a temporary ceasefire in Ukraine could serve as a foundation for broader negotiations. He credited Britain and France for their constructive role in talks and emphasized that any ceasefire would require concessions from both sides.

Addressing speculation about a potential meeting between former U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Rubio clarified that no date has been set. He added that while the U.S. has diplomatic tools to pressure Russia, "We hope we won’t have to use them."

Rubio dismissed claims that the primary objective of the talks was finalizing a deal on Ukraine’s mineral resources, asserting that discussions would focus on ending the war and strengthening U.S.-Ukraine cooperation.

Arriving in Saudi Arabia on Monday for a three-day visit, Rubio is expected to hold further talks with Ukrainian officials as part of the U.S. administration’s broader efforts to facilitate a resolution to the conflict. This marks his second visit to the kingdom since assuming office, following a Middle East tour in February.