FORCED INTO CONCESSION
In the White House meeting, Zelenskyy refused to bite his tongue in the face of criticism from Vice President JD Vance, with the Ukrainian leader questioning why his country should trust promises from Russia which launched a full-scale invasion in 2022 despite previous diplomacy.
But faced with Washington’s pressure, Ukraine will lay out its support for a limited ceasefire.
“We do have a proposal for a ceasefire in the sky and ceasefire at sea,” a Ukrainian official told AFP on Monday, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“These are the ceasefire options that are easy to install and to monitor, and it’s possible to start with them.”
Rubio signalled that the Trump administration would likely be pleased by such a proposal.
“I’m not saying that alone is enough, but it’s the kind of concession you would need to see in order to end the conflict,” he told reporters.
“You’re not going to get a ceasefire and an end to this war unless both sides make concessions.”
“The Russians can’t conquer all of Ukraine and obviously it will be very difficult for Ukraine in any reasonable time period to force the Russians all the way back to where they were back in 2014,” Rubio said, referring to when Russia seized the Crimea peninsula and backed a separatist offensive in eastern Ukraine.
In a meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ahead of the US-Ukraine talks, Zelenskyy’s office said he discussed Ukraine’s conditions for any permanent peace deal, including the release of prisoners and the return of children Kyiv accuses Moscow of abducting.
The two leaders “discussed the possible mediation of Saudi Arabia in the release of … prisoners and the return of deported children”, the Ukrainian statement said.
They also “exchanged views on the formats of security guarantees and what they should be for Ukraine so that war does not return again”, it added.
REPORTING BACK TO RUSSIA
Rubio said he did not expect to be “drawing lines on a map” towards a final deal in the Jeddah meeting, but said he would bring ideas back to Russia.
Rubio and Waltz met last month, also in Saudi Arabia, with counterparts from Russia, ending a freeze in high-level contacts imposed by former president Joe Biden after Russia defied Western warnings and launched its invasion.
Trump last week also threatened further sanctions against Russia to force it to the table as it carried out strikes on Ukraine.
But Trump’s abrupt shift in US policy has stunned many allies. Rubio said the United States was objecting to “antagonistic” language on Russia at an upcoming gathering of Group of Seven foreign ministers.
