Saudi Arabia confirmed on Friday that a meeting between Ukrainian and U.S. delegations will be held in the western port city of Jeddah next week.
In a statement posted on the social media platform X, the Saudi Foreign Ministry reaffirmed the kingdom's "continued efforts to achieve lasting peace to end the Ukrainian crisis."
Without specifying the date or details of the upcoming meeting, the ministry said in the post that it welcomed the talks between the United States and Ukraine, set to take place in Jeddah next week.
The statement came a day after U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff told reporters that American and Ukrainian officials were arranging a meeting in Saudi Arabia next week. He said the talks would focus on the framework of a peace agreement and a preliminary ceasefire.
Witkoff said he expected the U.S.-Ukraine talks to produce good results and send a "positive signal" to Russia, which has also shown a "proactive" attitude in promoting negotiations aimed at ending the conflict and achieving peace.
Also on Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on X that he is scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia on Monday to meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. After that, his team will remain in Saudi Arabia to work with American partners.
Zelensky emphasized the urgency of ending the war as soon as possible, stating that Ukraine is ready to work "24/7" with its partners in the U.S. and Europe to achieve peace.
The upcoming Ukraine-U.S. meeting follows a rare shouting match at the White House between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in late February, which led to the cancellation of an anticipated bilateral minerals agreement.
Saudi Arabia confirms Ukraine-US meeting to be held in Jeddah next week
