Zelenskyy: Ukraine-US talks in Saudi Arabia are constructive

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, photo: GETTY IMAGES

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the meeting between the Ukrainian and American teams in Saudi Arabia was constructive.

He said this in his evening address after a conversation with Defence Minister Rustem Umierov.

According to the President, this is the second meeting between representatives of Ukraine and the United States in Saudi Arabia. This time, it is held at the technical level with the participation of the military, diplomats and representatives of the Ministry of Energy.

«Our team is working absolutely constructively, the conversation is quite useful. The work of the delegations continues,» Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted.

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He also called on the international community to increase pressure on Russia to force it to stop its attacks on Ukraine.

«There has been a proposal for an unconditional ceasefire since 11 March, but it is Russia that continues these attacks. Without pressure on Moscow, they will continue to despise true diplomacy and destroy lives,» the President stressed.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed that the main goal now was to force Vladimir Putin to give a real order to stop the attacks.

«The one who brought this war must take it away,» he said.

As a reminder, negotiations on the proposed 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine will take place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Sunday 23 March. US Presidential Special Envoy Steve Witkoff did not specify whether Ukraine would participate in the talks, saying only that the US delegation would be led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Volz.

Earlier, the White House said that the peace talks would also begin with technical discussions on the implementation of a naval truce in the Black Sea. In addition, negotiations on a naval truce will begin in the Middle East in the near future.