The Secretary of State of the United States, Marco Rubio, headed on Sunday to Saudi Arabia to talk with Ukraine, since President Donald Trump decides whether to give frozen aid to the war partner.
The State Department also confirmed that Rubio would travel to a group of seven conversations in Canada, which made him the greatest official to visit from Trump’s return, who launched a commercial war with the United States neighbor and made fun of his sovereignty.
In the conversations from Monday to Wednesday in Jeddah, Rubio will discuss how “to advance in the objective of the president to end the Russia-Ukraine war,” said state department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce, directed by the phrase prior to the phrase of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that he will be in Jeddah, as well as Trump’s confidant and Steve Witkoff envoy.
Trump suspended the aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine after a disastrous meeting of February 28 with Zelensky at the White House. Republican and vice president JD Vance publicly dressed Zelensky for an alleged ingratitude of more than billions of dollars in previous US weapons shipments.
Zelensky left without signing an agreement required by Trump in which Ukraine would deliver much of his mineral wealth to the United States, which Trump argues that he will compensate for US taxpayers for the assistance provided under former President Joe Biden.
Since then, Zelensky has said that he is ready to sign the mineral agreement and sent a conciliatory letter to Trump, who read it in his speech to Congress on Tuesday.
Keith Kellogg, the special envoy of the United States in Russia and Ukraine, said Thursday that he would support the resumption of assistance once Zelensky firm the agreement, but that the decision finally depended on Trump.
NBC newsCiting unidentified sources, he said that Trump was unlikely to give up only with the mineral agreement and would like to be sure that Zelensky is ready to make Russia concessions.
The stunned European leaders have been competing to find ways to compensate for US aid, although Zelensky himself has said that there is no substitute for Washington’s security guarantees in an agreement with Russia.
Russia, which invaded three years ago, has not decreased in the Ukraine strike, including its energy infrastructure. Trump on Friday also threatened to adjust the sanctions to Russia if it does not come to the table.
Rubio met his Russian counterpart last month, breaking a freezing of the Biden era in high -level contacts, and spoke of future economic cooperation if the war ends. These conversations also took place in Saudi Arabia, which has positioned itself as a key diplomatic partner for Trump.
Rubio will also meet in Jeddah with the heir prince Mohammed Bin Salman, the factual ruler of the kingdom, said the State Department.
Trump is expected to press so that Saudi Arabia recognizes Israel, a perspective that seems remote to a permanent end of Gaza’s conflict, a priority for Witkoff while traveling the region.
Rubio will then go to Quebec for a group of seven foreign ministers where his spokesman said he will work for “more interests of the United States in peace and security, strategic cooperation and global stability.”
She did not mention the tensions with Canada, that Trump has mocked as “State 51” while unleashing tariffs, although he has partially retreated, faced with sliding in stock markets.
