Ukraine: Zelenskyy hopes talks with US will deliver progress

US and Ukrainian officials are set to meet in Saudi Arabia, aiming to make progress toward ending Russia’s war with Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Ukraine committed to “constructive” dialogue with United States

Talks in Saudi Arabia are the first official session since Zelenskyy’s explosive White House meeting

US President Donald Trump’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to meet Russia’s Vladimir Putin in Moscow

Here is a roundup of the significant developments concerning Russia’s war in Ukraine on Tuesday, March 11. Refresh for updates.

US-Ukraine talks to start in Saudi Arabia

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is leading a delegation to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday for talks with Ukrainian officials on ways to end the three-year war between Russia and Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who arrived in Saudi Arabia on Monday for talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has said he will not attend Tuesday’s talks with US officials.

According to Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian delegation will include his chief of staff, Andrii Yermak, as well as the foreign and defense ministers and a top military official in the presidential administration.

Zelenskyy said that Ukraine’s position in Tuesday’s talks with US officials will be “fully constructive” and that he hopes for practical outcomes from the negotiations on ending the Russian war in his country.

“We hope for practical outcomes,” Zelenskyy wrote in a post on X. “Ukraine’s position in these talks will be fully constructive.”

This will be the first meeting of US and Ukrainian delegations after a confrontational meeting at the White House between US President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Zelenskyy, following which the US froze military aid to Ukraine.

Zelenskyy says he appreciates Saudi role in peace efforts

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had a good meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on the eve of crucial US-Ukraine talks.

“I acknowledged the Crown Prince’s efforts in bringing true peace closer. Saudi Arabia provides a crucial platform for diplomacy, and we appreciate this,” Zelenskyy wrote on X.

He added that a significant part of the discussion was devoted to the formats of security guarantees. The leaders also discussed economic cooperation and key sectors for investment, starting with security, energy, and infrastructure.

Meanwhile, Saudi state news agency SPA reported that bin Salman, in a meeting with Zelenskyy in the Saudi Red Sea city of Jeddah, stressed the kingdom’s support for all international efforts aimed at resolving the crisis in Ukraine and achieving peace.

Trump envoy Witkoff to reportedly meet Putin in Moscow

US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is planning a visit to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Bloomberg and Reuters news agencies reported, citing anonymous sources but giving no details.

Witkoff, who is officially Trump’s Middle East envoy, has played a growing role in efforts to end the three-year-old war in Ukraine.

Trump has expressed a desire to meet with Putin and, since taking office in January, has pursued an effort to reverse the previous Biden administration’s icy relations with Russia.

Witkoff met with Putin in Moscow last month and brought back American teacher Marc Fogel, who was sentenced to 14 years in a Russian prison after being arrested for possessing medically prescribed marijuana.

Welcome to our coverage

Most of our coverage today will focus on talks between US and Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ahead of the talks, and his team will stay on to hold talks with top US officials.

He said Ukraine’s position in Tuesday’s talks would be “fully constructive.”

US officials said they are planning to use the meeting in part to determine whether Kyiv is willing to make material concessions to Russia to end the war.

After a dispute involving Zelenskyy, US President Donald Trump, and Vice President JD Vance, Washington announced the suspension of military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine. It is hoped the talks could help reset relations.