U.S.-Russia Talks and Ukraine Conflict: Path to Peace?

Iruni Kalupahana JadeTimes Staff

I. Kalupahana is a Jadetimes news reporter covering Russia-Ukraine war

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Image Source: AFP

American and Russian officials will be sitting down in Saudi Arabia in the coming days to discuss potential options to end hostilities in Ukraine. The meeting, confirmed by a U.S. congressman and others, will not include any Ukrainian diplomats at this stage. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy stated that his country wasn't invited for the negotiations and clarified that Ukraine would not enter into negotiations with Russia before seeking advice from its strategic allies. Senior US government officials like Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and White House Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff will represent Washington in these talks.

Efforts to Arrange a Peace Summit

On the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, US Rep. Michael McCaul made public that the ultimate goal of such negotiations is to facilitate holding a meeting between US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Trump, who took office on January 20, has, on many occasions, expressed himself clearly in the sense of putting an end to the war as soon as possible. He has also had individual phone conversations already with Putin and Zelenskiy, which have upset European allies due to worries of being shut out of the negotiating process. Trump's special envoy to Ukraine confirmed that no direct European representatives would be attending these meetings but has instead been asked for potential inputs towards security in Kyiv.

Russia and Ukraine's Conflicting Demands

As the conflict intensifies, Russia has captured a fifth of Ukrainian territory and is inching ahead in the east. Ukraine, which is short on troops, is struggling to keep pace. Russia has established its terms for peace, requiring Ukraine to surrender occupied territory and become a neutral nation permanently. On the other hand, Ukraine calls for a complete Russian withdrawal and wishes to join NATO or be given equivalent security guarantees in order not to be attacked again. The United States and the European nations have provided Ukraine with tens of billions of dollars worth of military aid since the war began to help it defend itself.

U.S.-Ukraine Negotiations on Economic Cooperation

Aside from security talks, the United States and Ukraine are also in talks for a deal that will have a big influence on the economy of Ukraine. The U.S. has offered to take control of 50% of Ukraine's strategic minerals in return for investment prospects, sources say. Zelenskiy, however, has raised concerns that the draft agreement does not include the required security guarantees for Ukraine. Although Zelenskiy is to visit the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, he has indicated that he will not sit down with U.S. or Russian leaders during these trips. As the negotiations progress, the world holds its breath for any development towards an end to the almost three year war.