USA and Ukraine eye mineral deal in Saudi talks
Negotiations between the USA and Ukraine are scheduled for Tuesday in Saudi Arabia. The White House special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, is optimistic that an agreement on resources will be reached.
The United States anticipates substantial progress in the discussions with the Ukrainian delegation and hopes to finalize an agreement on "critical minerals," stated White House special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, in an interview with Fox News.
When asked if Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would return to Washington this week to sign the agreement, Witkoff replied: "I am really hopeful. All the signs are very, very positive."
During a previous meeting between Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump at the White House, tensions arose when Trump and J.D. Vance accused the Ukrainian president of not showing enough gratitude for the assistance received from the United States. The visit ended with Trump expelling the Ukrainian delegation and canceling both the talks and a planned press conference.
Negotiations in Saudi Arabia
Representatives from Ukraine and the USA will attend the upcoming negotiations in Saudi Arabia. The Ukrainian delegation includes the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Andriy Sybiha, and the head of the President's Office, Andriy Yermak. The US delegation includes Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Michael Waltz.
According to Reuters, the talks will also cover American intelligence data provision to Ukraine and security guarantees for its citizens. Witkoff emphasized that the USA has never halted intelligence cooperation with Ukraine regarding its defense needs.
US President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that the United States has almost ended the suspension of intelligence information exchange with Ukraine. Trump expressed optimism about achieving a positive outcome from the talks in Saudi Arabia
The meeting in Saudi Arabia will follow a format similar to previous US-Russian talks, but this time, Russia will not participate.
Notably, last Monday, Washington announced the suspension of military support for Ukraine and, two days later, suspended intelligence aid.
Former CIA chief John Brennan criticized the suspension of intelligence aid, calling it akin to tactics used in rackets and extortions. Brennan stressed that intelligence aid has never been withheld for political advantage throughout his professional career.
