**US to Assess Ukraine’s Readiness for Peace at Upcoming Meeting**
The US delegation set to meet with Ukrainian officials on March 11 will assess whether Ukraine is ready for a “realistic peace,” Reuters reported. The meeting will take place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
During the talks, Ukrainians and US officials will discuss the framework of a peace agreement with Russia. They will also continue negotiations on a critical minerals deal. The US delegation will look for signs that Ukraine is committed to improving ties with Washington after a heated argument between President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump.
“We want to see if the Ukrainians are interested not just in peace, but in a realistic peace,” an unnamed US official said. The US wants to know if Ukraine is willing to make concessions to Russia in order to end the war.
As part of their assessment, US officials will look for signs that Ukraine is ready to compromise on territorial issues. “If they are only interested in 2014 or 2022 borders, that tells you something,” another official said.
The US has previously frozen military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine following a dispute between Zelensky and Trump. However, President Trump has indicated that the US is willing to lift this pause on intelligence sharing.
**Key Players**
* The US delegation will be led by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, U.S. National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff.
* The officials previously met with Russian representatives in Saudi Arabia on February 18 to discuss restoring bilateral relations and holding preliminary peace talks without Ukraine’s participation.
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