On Tuesday, March 11, negotiations between Ukraine and the United States began in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The Ukrainian delegation includes Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga, Presidential Office Head Andriy Yermak, and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov. Representing the US are National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The meeting lasted about four hours before a break was announced. During the intermission, Rubio and Waltz walked through the lobby of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Jeddah and answered journalists' questions. When asked about the progress of the talks, Waltz said: "We are making progress."
Andriy Yermak, representing the Ukrainian delegation, commented briefly on the discussions, stating, "The work continues," but did not share specific details. He emphasized that the initial stage of talks between the Kyiv and Washington delegations was constructive.
"The meeting with the US team started very constructively. We are working on achieving a just and lasting peace," Andriy Yermak, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine said.
According to Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the key topics of the negotiations include the path to peace and bilateral relations. However, the Ukrainian side decided not to raise the issue of security guarantees during this meeting, despite Yermak describing it as a crucial topic for Kyiv.
The American delegation arrived late to the negotiations, causing a brief delay. This could have been a deliberate move. Tardiness due to objective reasons is rare at such high level talks. Washington may have thus sent a message to Kyiv: "We are in charge, and you will wait for us."
Additionally, Sky News correspondent Alex Rossi, citing private statements from delegation members, reported that the US does not want to entertain Ukraine's requests to restore its borders to those of 2013 or before the start of the special military operation (SMO). According to Rossi, the Ukrainians will have to make some rather painful concessions.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that the US would inform Russia about the outcome of the negotiations with Ukraine in Saudi Arabia, calling this a "normal practice." He also emphasized that Washington was searching for ways to achieve a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ukraine.