US and Ukraine Talks Set for Saudi Arabia Next Week
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced that talks between the US and Ukraine will be held in Saudi Arabia next week. He expressed hopes that it would be a “meaningful meeting” that could lead to a lasting peace.
The US team, led by special envoy Steve Witkoff, wants to discuss a framework for peace to try to end the Russia-Ukraine war. This comes after a public clash between Zelensky and US President Donald Trump at the White House last week. Trump had accused Zelensky of not being ready to end the fighting.
The Ukrainian president has since apologized for the incident and tried to repair relations with the US. Witkoff said that he hoped the US and Ukraine could get back on track with their talks, and that everything would resume as normal.
Russia Launched Invasion in 2022
Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and now controls about 20% of Ukrainian territory. Zelensky has been pushing for firm security guarantees from the US before any peace talks can take place.
Zelensky announced the US-Ukraine talks on social media after attending a crisis summit in Brussels where European Union leaders endorsed plans for a boost in defense spending. He said that Ukraine had always sought peace since the start of the war and that Russia was responsible for continuing the conflict.
Global Pressure Needed
Zelensky urged the global community to put more pressure on Moscow so it would accept the need to end the war. He also made an apparent reference to a truce plan outlined by French President Emmanuel Macron, which proposed a ceasefire in the air and at sea, and an end to attacks on energy and other civilian infrastructure.
Russia’s Response
Russia has not publicly commented on Macron’s proposals. However, Putin said that Moscow was seeking a peace “that would ensure calmness for our country in the long-term perspective.”
Ukraine and its European allies have expressed alarm over what they see as Donald Trump’s overtures to Russia. The US decision to halt military aid to Ukraine has been cast by Trump administration officials as a means of getting Kyiv to co-operate with the US-led peace talks.
Read More @ www.bbc.com
