A Ukrainian delegation has arrived in Saudi Arabia for meetings in preparation for a possible visit by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, a Ukrainian minister says, at a time of intense speculation over planned US-Russia talks in the kingdom to end Moscow’s war on its neighbour.
It also comes as a top US envoy revealed he and a fellow negotiator appointed by US President Donald Trump were heading to Saudi Arabia.
Ukrainian Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko did not clarify whether there is a link between Zelenskiy’s possible trip and the previously announced US-Russia talks.
In a Facebook post, she said the Ukrainian delegation’s focus was on strengthening economic ties as Kyiv “prepares to sign important economic agreements with countries in the region”.
Svyrydenko did not say anything about when Zelenskiy might go to Saudi Arabia and who he might meet.
No further details were immediately available.
Andriy Yermak, a top adviser to Zelenskiy, said earlier on Sunday that there was no possibility of Ukrainian and Russian representatives meeting directly in the immediate future.
In a Telegram post, Yermak said the Ukrainians were not planning to do so “until we develop a plan” to end the war and bring about a “just peace”.
Mykhailo Podolyak, another Zelenskiy adviser, on Saturday denied that Ukraine would take part in any planned US-Russia meetings in Saudi Arabia.
“There is nothing on the negotiating table that would be worth discussing,” Podolyak said on Ukrainian television.
But Svyrydenko's remarks came within hours of an announcement by Steve Witkoff, Trump’s close ally and special envoy to the Middle East, that high-level meetings were imminent in Saudi Arabia to discuss a negotiated settlement to the war in Ukraine.
Witkoff told Fox News that he and national security adviser Mike Waltz would be “having meetings at the direction of the president”, and hoped to make “some really good progress with regard to Russia-Ukraine".
Witkoff said he was leaving for Saudi Arabia on Sunday evening.
Following a lengthy phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, Trump noted they “agreed to have our respective teams start negotiations immediately” on ending the fighting.
The president appointed Witkoff and Waltz to lead those talks, alongside US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CIA director John Ratcliffe.
Russian officials and state media took a triumphant tone after Trump jettisoned three years of US policy and announced he would likely meet soon with Putin to negotiate a peace deal in the almost three-year war in Ukraine.
Trump’s announcement created a major diplomatic upheaval that could herald a watershed moment for Ukraine and Europe.
Zelenskiy said he would not accept any negotiations about Ukraine that did not include his country.
European governments have also demanded a seat at the table.
A handful of leaders are gathering in Paris to talk about Ukraine on Monday.
