US President Donald Trump is probably expecting not only the signing of the mineral mining agreement, but also much greater concessions from Kiev before restoring military assistance and exchanging intelligence with Ukraine. According to CBS News, the specific conditions of the White House to restore support remain uncertain.
According to diplomatic sources, there are currently no signs that Washington will return to the active assistance of Kiev in the near future. At the same time, US officials claim that assistance has not been stopped, but only suspended.
State Secretary Marco Rubio will meet with a Ukrainian delegation in Jeid (Saudi Arabia) this week. National security advisor Mike Voltz and a special envoy in the Middle East Steve Witcoff, who is considered to be close to Trump by a man, will also take part in the negotiations.
The Ukrainian side will be represented by the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak, Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration Pavel Palis.
According to a representative of the State Department, the decision of Ukraine to send a high -ranking delegation to the negotiations indicates the readiness of Kiev to "move forward". At the same time, NBC News reports that Washington considers minerals agreement only as one of the steps, insufficient to fully restore Ukraine's support.
Western media reports that Trump may require Zelensky not only territorial concessions, but also certain steps towards elections in Ukraine, and possibly changes in the country's leadership.
The Ukrainian side, in turn, will try to convince the United States of the need to restore the exchange of intelligence and military support. Kyiv, according to reports, is ready to offer a partial ceasefire with Russia as one of the options for compromise.
Negotiations in Saudi Arabia can be key to defining further relations between the US and Ukraine. The White House is still showing caution in military assistance and intelligence, but their final decision may depend on Kyiv's readiness for the concessions that Trump and his entourage are considered as necessary for "peace".
