Ukraine partial ceasefire plan ‘has promise’, Rubio says ahead of talks in Saudi Arabia
Top U.S. diplomats say he is expected to end the war with Russia amid proposals for a local ceasefire proposed by Ukraine, ahead of talks held in Saudi Arabia late Tuesday between U.S. and Ukrainian officials.
“I’m not saying that one person is enough, but that’s the concession you need to end the conflict,” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Monday.
Kiev is expected to hold an air and naval armistice with Russia during negotiations in Jeddah.
Russia had previously rejected the idea of a temporary ceasefire, saying it was an attempt to buy time and prevent Ukraine’s military collapse.
Governor Andrei Vorobyev said in another development, at least two people were killed in a “massive” drone attack in Moscow and the capital region. Seven apartments in a residential building were damaged.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said 74 drones heading to the city were shot down. He added that the roof of a building was damaged by drone wreckage.
The attack forced a regional train network to be suspended and restricted flight restrictions at Moscow airports.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky landed in Saudi Arabia on Monday to meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, although he is not expected to play any official role in the talks with the United States.
In a video speech late Monday, Zelensky said he hopes to achieve “practice results” in the negotiations, adding that Ukraine’s position will be “absolutely constructive”.
The Ukrainian team will be represented by Andriy Yermak, head of Zelensky’s office, the country’s national security adviser, and several representatives from foreign and defense ministers.
Rubio will represent the U.S. delegation along with National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and U.S. Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff.
Rubio said it is important to “clear the intention to establish Ukraine” before arriving in Jeddah on Monday, and that the country must “have to be prepared to do difficult things, such as the Russians have to do difficult things to end the issue”.
“I won’t set any conditions for what they have to or need to do,” he added. “We want to hear how far they are willing to go and compare it to what the Russians want and see how far we really are.”
He said both sides need to realize that there is no military solution to the conflict and can only be resolved through “diplomacy”.
Meanwhile, Bloomberg and Aksios News website reported that Witkov plans to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow later this week, citing unnamed sources.
The Kremlin has not yet made public comments on the report’s visit.
When U.S. President Donald Trump put pressure on Zelensky to agree to a ceasefire with Moscow without any commitment from U.S. security assurance, he agreed to Zelensky’s ceasefire.
The negotiations mark the first official meeting since Zelensky’s visit to the White House came to an end last month.
After the heated Oval Office encounter, the United States suspended military aid and intelligence sharing for Kiev, apparently allowing Zelensky to arrive at the negotiating table.
Rubio said he hopes to “resolve” the pause in aid, but talks on Tuesday will be key to that.
The suspension was “because we think they (Ukraine) are not committed to any kind of peace process” and “if there is a change, obviously our posture may change”.
He added: “The President will use any tool he has to try to put both sides on that table so that the war will end.”
Earlier on Monday, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff said he expects “significant progress” in the negotiations.
Asked if he thought Zelensky would return to the U.S. to sign a mineral deal later this week, he told Fox News: “I’m really hopeful. All the signs are very, very positive.”
Zelensky had previously said he was willing to sign a mineral deal with the United States, and the company would establish a joint fund by selling Ukrainian minerals.
Among the issues to be discussed in Saudi Arabia is the security agreement for the Ukrainians and territorial issues, Vikov said.
He said the U.S. government has never shut down the defensive intelligence sharing needed by Ukraine, and on Sunday, Trump told Fox News that he “almost” cancelled the suspension of intelligence sharing in Ukraine.
Downing Street said Sir Kyle Starmer also spoke with Trump before the negotiations.
A spokeswoman said: “He hopes that talks will enable our aid and intelligence sharing to start over. ”
Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and currently accounts for one-fifth of Ukrainian territory, including Crimea, which was annexed in 2014.
