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Zelenskyy in Saudi Arabia as US voices hope for Ukraine peace talks

11 March 2025 00:54 (UTC +04:00)

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was in Saudi Arabia on Monday to meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, a day before talks between Ukrainian and U.S. officials that Washington hopes will deliver substantial progress towards ending Ukraine's war with Russia, APA reports citing Reuters.

Zelenskyy is expected later on Monday to meet the Saudi crown prince, whose country has played a mediating role since Russia's invasion, including brokering prisoner exchanges and hosting last month's talks between Moscow and Washington.

Talks on Tuesday between U.S. and Ukrainian officials are the first official session since Zelenskyy's abortive White House meeting, and Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff said he had high hopes.

"I think that we're going over there with an expectation that we're going to make substantial progress," he said in an interview with Fox News.

Asked if he thought Zelenskyy would return to the U.S. to sign a minerals deal this week, Witkoff said: "I am really hopeful. All the signs are very, very positive."