The United States and Ukraine are coordinating a meeting in Saudi Arabia to discuss the initial terms of a cease-fire framework to halt the fighting between Russia and Ukraine.
Steve Witkoff, U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, told reporters at the White House on March 6 that U.S. President Donald Trump had received a letter from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressing a willingness to lay out the initial terms of a cease-fire with Russia.
“I think the president thought that it was a really good, positive first step, and from that ... we’re now in discussions to coordinate a meeting with the Ukrainians ... and I think the idea is to get down a framework for a peace agreement and an initial cease-fire as well,” Witkoff said.
Witkoff said Zelenskyy’s letter to Trump had satisfied the U.S. leader’s desire for an apology and display of gratitude, and that intelligence sharing might resume after the meeting.
“There was an apology, there was an acknowledgment that the United States has done so much for the country of Ukraine, and a sense of gratitude,” Witkoff said.
“I would think at some point ... hopefully we get things back on track with the Ukrainians and everything resumes.”
Witkoff said the meeting is expected to take place next week and that national security adviser Mike Waltz is currently leading discussions about who will form the primary diplomatic team to carry out the talks.
Official designees to handle diplomacy with Ukraine and Russia throughout the peace process would be announced to Moscow and Kyiv, he said.
Trump has pressed Ukraine to accept a cease-fire without security guarantees from the United States and to sign a deal granting Washington access to vast stores of rare earth metals in exchange for continued security assistance.
Zelenskyy has said that Kyiv would need assurances from the United States and Europe that the unoccupied part of Ukraine would be defended during peace talks, and that Russia would not simply be given time to regroup its forces in preparation for another assault.
On March 6, Trump said he thinks that both Ukraine and Russia will ultimately strike a peace deal.
“I think what’s going to happen is Ukraine wants to make a deal, because I don’t think they have a choice,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
Russia likewise will want to make a deal, Trump said.
“In a certain different way, a way that only I know ... they have no choice,” he said.
European leaders have since turbocharged a previous plan that would see the continent raise defense spending by more than $800 billion in the next decade, and have pressured Zelenskyy to make right with the United States to ensure that Europe maintains access to key security items that only Washington can provide.
Under that proposal, following the end of hostilities, UK and French troops would deploy to Ukraine during a second cease-fire phase to ensure the peace.
Witkoff told reporters on March 6 that Trump believed that Zelenskyy was earnest in his desire to work toward a peace deal, and that there was a path to one.
“The president has said that there’s a path back, and President Zelenskyy has demonstrated that he’s intent on that good-faith path back,” Witkoff said.
“He’s apologized, he said he’s grateful. He said that he wants to work toward peace.”
