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Zelensky Confirms Ukraine’s Desire for Peace Ahead of Talks with Washington
As part of the preparations for potential crucial talks between Ukrainian and American officials in Saudi Arabia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that his country is seeking peace. In a post on the Telegram app on Monday, he indicated that Russia is the "sole reason for the continuation of the war."
Zelensky affirmed that Ukraine has been pursuing peace since the beginning of the conflict, stating, "We have always clarified that the only reason for the continuation of the war is Russia."
For his part, a Ukrainian official reported that Kyiv would propose a ceasefire on both the air and maritime fronts during the talks with the United States in Saudi Arabia, according to Agence France-Presse.
This comes at a time when Zelensky is scheduled to arrive in Saudi Arabia, where he will begin diplomatic meetings with a meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The Ukrainian president clarified that after this meeting, his team would remain in Saudi Arabia to work with American partners, expressing hope to discuss necessary decisions and steps, without providing specific details.
A meeting between Ukrainian and American delegations is expected to take place the day after Zelensky’s arrival to discuss future peace steps to end the war with Russia. The upcoming talks in Jeddah are also expected to help establish a framework for a peace agreement and a preliminary ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, according to U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witzke, who will attend these discussions.
These meetings come after Washington suspended military aid and intelligence sharing, while Kyiv seeks to repair relations with the Trump administration.
Zelensky emphasized the importance of constructive dialogue in his statements, stressing the need to take Ukraine’s interests into account, expressing confidence that the meeting would be "fruitful." On Sunday evening, he expressed hope for positive outcomes regarding both achieving peace and continuing American support in light of the current circumstances affecting the Ukrainian fronts.
