Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced plans to visit Saudi Arabia on Monday for discussions with Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, followed by diplomatic-level talks later in the week with US officials.
"On Monday, my visit to Saudi Arabia is scheduled to meet the Crown Prince. After that, my team will stay in Saudi Arabia to collaborate with our American partners. Ukraine remains committed to peace," Zelensky stated.
US President Donald Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, on Thursday confirmed that a meeting with Ukrainian authorities was scheduled for next week in Saudi Arabia. He also stated that current talks with Kyiv were aimed at sketching out a possible peace deal framework and a first ceasefire.
Trump reportedly reacted positively to a letter written by Zelensky after their acrimonious meeting at the White House last week, according to Witkoff.
"He appreciated Zelensky's letter as a good start. There was an apology, plus acknowledgment of the tremendous support the United States has given to Ukraine, and a thank you," Witkoff said.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other officials are likely to travel to Riyadh on Tuesday for the meeting, with Andriy Yermak, a senior aide to Zelensky, also attending, as per media reports.
Trump also suggested that he would visit Saudi Arabia in the near future, but did not give a date.
"I'm traveling to Saudi Arabia. I told them I would go if they invested $1 trillion in American businesses, over a period of four years. They agreed, so I'll be going there," Trump said, alluding to a major investment agreement with the Kingdom.
This meeting next week marks a potential boost in US-Ukraine ties after last week's Oval Office showdown between Trump and Zelensky.
Following the row, the US suspended military aid to Ukraine and ended intelligence cooperation with its military.
The announcement came as Zelensky attended an emergency European Union summit in Brussels, where EU leaders debated the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and European security.
At the summit, EU leaders endorsed new defense spending initiatives to release billions of euros for the security of the continent, after signals from the Trump administration that Europe would have to be more responsible for its own defense.
The 27 EU leaders agreed to ease budgetary limits, allowing willing member states to increase military expenditure.
In addition to that, the European Commission has been mandated with examining mechanisms towards "enabling meaningful defense expenditures at the domestic level in all member states," in accordance with an official document.
The estimates from the executive body of the EU indicate this effort could trigger about €650 billion ($1.1 billion AUD).
Leaders from Eastern Europe participating in the summit also confirmed backing Emmanuel Macron, French President, with his suggestion to extend France's nuclear deterrence as a safeguard. Russia, however, ruled out the suggestion as "highly confrontational."
EU leaders approved a European Commission plan on Thursday designed to rally €800 billion to support Europe's military capabilities in reaction to threats posed by Russia.
Speaking to EU leaders at the summit, Zelensky told that Ukrainian and US diplomats had "returned to negotiations" and was hopeful of a "substantive meeting" in the next week.
He also spoke of his gratitude for the EU's unstinting support, particularly against fears that Washington's diplomacy with Moscow would pressure Ukraine into an unfavourable deal.
"We are deeply grateful that we are not facing this alone," Zelensky said.
The European summit came just a week after a tense standoff between Trump and Zelensky at the White House prompted Washington to suspend military aid and intelligence-sharing, which had been vital in Kyiv's resistance against Russia's invasion.
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