What was achieved in the meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky paved the way for Ukraine-US negotiations and raised hopes of ending the conflict that has entered its fourth year...
 |
| US and Ukrainian officials negotiate in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on March 11. (Source: X) |
Find common ground
After meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on March 10, Ukrainian President Zelensky said he “had a detailed discussion on the steps and conditions necessary to end the conflict and ensure a reliable and lasting peace.” Zelensky wrote on social network X that the discussions were “very good” and that he was “grateful” for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s “clear-sighted stance on global issues and support for Ukraine.”
The Ukrainian head of state added that “it is especially important to hear such words of confidence in the future of Ukraine from the Saudi leader.” According to Saudi Arabia’s SPA news agency, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman affirmed the kingdom’s support for international efforts to resolve the crisis in Ukraine and find solutions to achieve peace.
Last month, President Zelensky postponed a visit to Saudi Arabia after Riyadh hosted a meeting between US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on February 18. This was the first high-level meeting between Russia and the US since 2022, discussing the reset of relations and finding a solution to the conflict in Ukraine, but without Kiev's representatives, causing concern in Ukraine.
Notably, the meeting between Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and President Volodymyr Zelensky took place just before the first talks between the Ukrainian and US delegations the following day, March 11, also in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah. President Zelensky did not attend this meeting, but the content and results achieved at the talks with the Saudi leader paved the way for what the Ukrainian and US delegations discussed, according to SPA news agency.
The US delegation to the talks was led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and President Donald Trump's Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian delegation included Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.
The two sides entered negotiations in the context of President Donald Trump recently announcing the suspension of intelligence sharing and military aid to Ukraine, a move believed to be the consequence of a heated "verbal fight" between President Zelensky and the White House owner in the Oval Office on February 28.
Cool down together
After eight hours of discussion in the meeting room, the two sides issued a joint statement, including highlights such as the US agreeing to resume military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine. In return, Kiev accepted Washington's proposal for a 30-day ceasefire.
Speaking to reporters, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US side will convey the ceasefire proposal to the Russian President, but the answer yes or no will be decided by Moscow. However, Mr. Marco Rubio hopes that Moscow will answer "yes" as soon as possible, so that the US can move on to the second phase of this, which is the real negotiations.
The US Secretary of State also stressed that Washington wants a full agreement with both Russia and Ukraine “as soon as possible” and revealed that National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff planned to travel to Moscow this week.
After the joint statement was released, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the ceasefire was a “positive proposal,” but it must include the entire frontline of the conflict, not just the ceasefire in the air and at sea. “When the agreement comes into force, during those 30 days of ‘silence,’ we will have time to prepare with our partners at the level of working documents on all aspects of reliable peace and lasting security,” the Ukrainian leader said.
The Ukraine-US joint statement also mentioned the importance of humanitarian assistance as part of the peace process, especially during the ceasefire, including the exchange of prisoners.
Ukraine reaffirmed that European partners must be involved in the peace process. The two sides also agreed to conclude as soon as possible a comprehensive agreement to exploit and develop Ukraine’s important mineral resources to expand the economy and ensure the country’s long-term prosperity and security.
Immediately after the US-Ukraine talks, in an interview published on March 12, when mentioning the possibility of reaching a peace agreement with Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov affirmed that Moscow would avoid concessions that could endanger the lives of civilians. He reiterated Russia’s position that in any long-term peace agreement, Moscow would not accept the presence of NATO troops in Ukraine.
On the same day, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated, “Russia's position is not formed abroad by agreements or efforts of other countries.”
With the achievements in Saudi Arabia, the Russia-Ukraine conflict is facing a new turning point, but the way forward is still unclear. The two sides have only agreed on the idea of a temporary ceasefire agreement, whether the decisions made in the coming weeks and months will "finalize" the conflict entering its fourth year with too many losses...
Source: https://baoquocte.vn/xung-dot-nga-ukraine-no-luc-truoc-gio-doi-chieu-307400.html
Comment (0)