Jeddah [Saudi Arabia], March 11: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has arrived in Saudi Arabia to visit the kingdom's crown prince and prime minister ahead of meetings with United States diplomats focused on a bilateral minerals deal and ending Ukraine's war with Russia.
Saudi state television reported Zelensky's arrival in Jeddah, a port city on the Red Sea where the Ukraine-US summit will be held on Tuesday. He was to meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday, before Ukrainian officials - including Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and Defence Minister Rustem Umerov - sit down with the Americans on Tuesday.
"Ukraine has been seeking peace since the very first second of the war, and we have always said that the only reason that the war is continuing is because of Russia," Zelensky wrote on social media ahead of his trip.
US Secretary of State Mark Rubio arrived in Jeddah shortly after Zelensky. The top US diplomat is leading a delegation that also includes Mike Waltz, US President Donald Trump's national security adviser.
Rubio has said it is important to clearly establish Ukraine's intentions to reach a point where peace with Russia is possible. He spoke to reporters en route to the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah for Tuesday's meeting with Ukrainian officials. Rubio stressed that it was crucial to leave the meeting with a strong sense that Ukraine is prepared "to do difficult things" - just like the Russians.
Tensions have been high between Ukraine and the US since a February 28 Oval Office meeting between Zelensky and Trump descended into an argument, and led to the US suspending all military aid to Ukraine.
Reporting from Kiev, Al Jazeera's Charles Stratford said that in Ukraine, there is talk that Zelensky was planning to offer a partial ceasefire involving an end to hostilities in the sky and at sea.
"The president is hoping this kind of message will in some way ease this pressure that the US has been putting on Ukraine. We're talking about the suspension of military aid, the suspension of full access to intelligence sharing and satellite imagery," Stratford said.
"Some analysts, quite interestingly, are saying that if Zelensky plays it right, he could put the ball back in Russia's court - really testing the Russians, who have so far been averse to any partial ceasefire," he added.
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said Ukraine should decide whether it wants peace. Peskov told reporters it's "not important what we expect" from the upcoming US-Ukrainian talks in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. "What is important here is what the United States expects. And at various levels, you and I have repeatedly heard statements that the United States is waiting for a demonstration of the Ukrainians' desire for peace," said Peskov.
"In fact, this is probably what everyone is waiting for. Whether the members of Zelensky's regime really want peace or not - this is very important and needs to be decided."
Source: Qatar Tribune
