A senior official from President Trump’s administration announced on Thursday that he will travel to Saudi Arabia for discussions with Ukrainian representatives regarding a potential ceasefire and efforts to halt Russian aggression.
“We are currently working to coordinate a meeting with the Ukrainian side in Riyadh or Jeddah,” said Steve Witkoff, President Trump’s envoy for the Middle East. “The goal is to establish a framework for a peace agreement and an initial ceasefire,” he added.
Witkoff stated that President Trump believes Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy has shifted his stance following last Friday’s White House meeting.
Diplomatic Moves Amid European Concerns
“He [Trump] thinks Zelenskyy’s letter was a very positive first step. It expressed regret, acknowledged that the U.S. has done a lot for Ukraine, and conveyed gratitude,” Witkoff noted.
Meanwhile, President Zelenskyy met with European leaders in Brussels for urgent discussions.
“We will arm ourselves faster, be smarter, and more efficient than Russia,” said Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who currently holds the EU’s rotating presidency.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen introduced a plan to ease budgetary regulations, allowing member states willing to invest more in defense to do so. The EU is encouraging its 27 member states to collectively invest $863 billion in defense over the next four years.
“We are very grateful that we are not alone, and this is not just talk,” President Zelenskyy stated. “We feel this support, and it is very important.”
French President Emmanuel Macron, ahead of the talks, stressed that the EU must take decisive steps and expressed concerns over the shift in U.S. policy under President Trump.
“The future of Europe should not be decided in Washington or Moscow,” Macron asserted.
US Intelligence Sharing Suspended
French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu confirmed that France is sharing intelligence with Ukraine, while the U.S. has suspended intelligence-sharing with Kyiv.
Earlier this week, President Trump ordered a freeze on U.S. military aid to Ukraine following his meeting with Zelenskyy. CIA Director John Ratcliffe confirmed Wednesday that intelligence-sharing with Ukraine has been halted for now, though he suggested this might be temporary.
Since the war began in 2022, the U.S. has provided Ukraine with significant intelligence, including critical targeting information for Ukrainian forces against Russian troops.
Challenges in Securing Peace
Securing a peace deal remains a major challenge. Ukraine has long demanded the restoration of its internationally recognized borders from 2014, before Russia’s annexation of Crimea.
Currently, Russia occupies about one-fifth of Ukrainian territory, including most of eastern Ukraine, and has vowed not to return any land to Kyiv’s government.
