Sky News was halted for an urgent update as Donald Trump’s representatives sat down to open Ukrainian peace talks in Jeddah. Reporter Alex Rossi had earlier been thrown out of the room where the discussions were taking place between Saudi, Ukrainian and American diplomats and had returned to the press room where he gave an update. “You can see the journalists, lots of different countries represented here, such as the interest in these negotiations. But we’re at the Ritz Carlton Hotel, this is the Conference Centre now… We were taken in to see it [the room] just before the meeting started – fairly stern faces around that table, again, a reflection of the seriousness of these discussions. I think the best way really, of characterising this is it’s a prelude to further talks.
“They [Americans] really want to explore where the Ukrainians lie. What kind of concessions that they are prepared to make. And I think listening to what Marco Rubio, the American Secretary of State, who on his way here, said, they want to see how serious they are. How serious they are about doing a peace deal. They are optimistic that they will make some progress today. And I think the ambition from the delegates on both sides, the Ukrainian and the American side, is that by the end of the day, they will have at least some kind of kind of shape of what a ceasefire negotiation, will look like to end the Russian Ukraine war.”
The talks come after a tense period over the past eleven days following the clash between US President Donald Trump and Ukraine President Volvodymyr Zelensky during a meeting in the Oval Office on February 28.
The Trump administration subsequently suspended US military and intelligence support to Ukraine last week in an attempt to coerce it into accepting a peace deal.
During an interview with Fox host Maria Bartiromo, Trump was questioned about his comfort level with the possibility that Ukraine might not survive after he “walked away, and Ukraine may not survive.
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“Well it may not survive anyway. But you know, we have some weaknesses with Russia, it takes two,” responded Trump. He added, “It was not gonna happen that war, and it happened so now we’re stuck with this mess,” The cessation of all military aid includes US weapons already shipped via air and sea, as well as those stationed in Europe.
NBC News reported on Monday (March 10) that Trump will not reinstate US aid to Ukraine even if a mineral resources agreement is signed. He also demands a shift in Zelensky’s approach to peace negotiations.
Today’s discussions will see Kyiv is set to propose a ceasefire in the sea and sky during truce talks, sources say, which will cover the Black Sea and long-range missile strikes, as well as the release of prisoners.
Discussions could also resolve the US military aid pause but it is unlikely that a minerals deal – a key condition for US involvement in a ceasefire – will be struck.
That centres on a fund for the reconstruction of Ukraine, managed by Kyiv and Washington on equal terms, with Ukraine contributing 50% of future proceeds from state-owned rare earth mineral resources, oil and gas, proceeds from which will be used to invest in the “safety, security and prosperity of Ukraine”. The deal would see the US granted access to Ukraine’s rich natural resources.