Saudi Crown Prince and Ukraine’s Zelenskyy discuss efforts to reach peace with Russia

The Ukrainian leader and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio both met Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has met Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ahead of crucial talks in Saudi Arabia between Ukrainian and US officials on Tuesday aimed at ending the war with Russia, with the Ukrainian leader thanking the kingdom for its role in peace efforts.

They discussed working to achieve a "sustainable, fair and comprehensive" peace in Ukraine, according to a joint statement published by Saudi state news agency SPA.

During the meeting in Jeddah, Prince Mohammed expressed the kingdom's support for international efforts to resolve the crisis in Ukraine and achieve peace, SPA said. Mr Zelenskyy said he was grateful for Prince Mohammed's perspective and highlighted the important role played by Saudi Arabia in recent talks.

“I am grateful for his wise perspective on global affairs and support for Ukraine. It was especially important to hear words of confidence in Ukraine’s future,” the Ukrainian leader said in a statement on X. “We are ready to collaborate and are confident that stronger ties between our nations and regions will benefit both our peoples and the world.”

The Saudi Crown Prince “affirms the kingdom’s keenness and support for all international efforts to resolve the Ukrainian crisis and achieve peace,” a statement by the Saudi Foreign Ministry added.

Saudi Arabia has played various mediating roles since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, including brokering prisoner exchanges and hosting talks between Moscow and Washington last month.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz also met the Saudi Crown Prince on Monday evening in Jeddah. Mr Rubio thanked Prince Mohammed for “hosting the US in talks to help resolve the Ukraine war and secure a lasting peace”, State Department representative Tammy Bruce said. The two also discussed Yemen, Syria and reconstruction in Gaza, the representative added.

“The Secretary thanked the Crown Prince for hosting Arab countries and reiterated the United States' firm commitment that any solution to the situation in Gaza must not include any role for Hamas,” the representative said.

Ukrainian and US officials are holding three days of discussions in Jeddah. Washington, once Ukraine's main ally in the war with Russia, has upended long-standing US policy in its stated pursuit of a rapid end to the fighting, engaging directly with Moscow while cutting off military assistance and intelligence sharing for Kyiv.

The talks in Saudi Arabia are expected to focus on a bilateral minerals deal between the US and Ukraine as well as how to end the conflict. They are the first official meeting between the two sides since a tense Oval Office encounter between Mr Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump late last month in front of journalists.

The SPA statement on the meeting between Mr Zelenskyy and Prince Mohammed said they also "praised the strength of economic ties between the two countries and highlighted the importance of joint efforts to enhance trade exchange". Saudi-Ukraine trade recorded a growth rate of 9 percent in 2024.

The two leaders agreed on the need to overcome challenges facing the development of trade ties. They emphasised the importance of reciprocal trade and investment delegations and encouraged the establishment of joint projects and other opportunities in both countries. The two sides also welcomed the re-establishment of the Ukrainian-Saudi Business Council this year.