Paris Soir - Ukraine to propose sky, sea truce at US talks in Saudi: official

Those discussions from Tuesday will be the first Ukraine-US meeting since a White House blowup between Zelensky and US President Donald Trump that led to Washington halting military aid to Kyiv.

"We do have a proposal for a ceasefire in the sky and ceasefire at sea," the official told AFP on Monday, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"Because these are the ceasefire options that are easy to install and to monitor and it's possible to start with them."

Ukrainian and American officials will meet on Tuesday to seek a way out of the conflict more than three years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion.

Zelensky on Monday said Ukraine only wants peace, insisting Russia was the "only reason" the war was carrying on.

"Ukraine has been seeking peace since the very first second of the war, and we have always said that the only reason that the war is continuing is because of Russia," he wrote on social media.

Zelensky said he would meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the country's de facto leader, on Monday, after which his officials will meet the American team on Tuesday.

Zelensky has said Ukraine is "fully committed to constructive dialogue", but wants its interests to be "taken into account in the right way".

"We hope for results, both in terms of bringing peace closer and continuing support," he said in his evening address on Sunday.

US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff said Washington wanted to use the talks "to get down a framework for a peace agreement and an initial ceasefire as well".

In Jeddah, the Red Sea port city close to Islam's holiest sites in Mecca and Medina, dozens of Ukrainian and Saudi flags flew on a main roundabout near the airport and on thoroughfares.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will fly there on Monday, the US State Department said. Mike Waltz, US President Donald Trump's national security adviser, has also confirmed his participation.

Zelensky said his negotiators will include Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga and Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, his chief of staff Andriy Yermak and Pavlo Palisa, a military commander and Yermak's deputy.

- 'Significant advantage' -

Washington has suspended military aid to Ukraine as well as intelligence-sharing and access to satellite imagery in a bid to force it to the table with Moscow, which launched its invasion in February 2022 on orders from President Vladimir Putin.

Russia could enjoy a "significant advantage" against Ukrainian troops if the US sustains its pause on sharing intelligence, a senior Ukrainian official told AFP.

"The main thing is how long it will last. If it lasts a long time, it will give the Russians a significant advantage," the source said.

Britain's Financial Times newspaper, citing a source briefed on preparations for the talks, also said Kyiv would propose a partial ceasefire, hoping that Washington would resume military aid and intelligence-sharing.

Trump has renewed communications with Putin and criticised Zelensky, raising fears in Kyiv and among European allies that the US leader may try to force Ukraine to accept a settlement favouring Russia.

On Friday, however, Trump said he was considering further sanctions on Russia for "pounding" Ukraine on the battlefield.

Ukraine's European allies last week held a summit with Zelensky and announced they would greatly increase defence spending.

The UK's Economist magazine reported that any deal curbing Ukraine's ability to re-arm, recognising occupied territory as Russian, or interfering in Ukrainian politics through insistence on elections, would be seen as unacceptable by Kyiv.

- 'Regrettable' -

The Saudi talks come after the White House clash between Zelensky and Trump led to the Ukrainian leaving without signing the minerals deal demanded by the US leader.

Zelensky later called the incident "regrettable" and said he was ready to work with Trump's "strong leadership".

He also expressed readiness to sign the deal on strategic mineral reserves.

Witkoff said Trump received a letter from Zelensky, calling it "a very positive first step" and "an apology".

Asked if Ukraine would sign the deal in Saudi Arabia, Witkoff said: "I think Zelensky has offered to sign it, and we'll see if he follows through."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Rubio met in Riyadh last month, agreeing to resume dialogue and start talks on the Ukraine conflict.

Zelensky has visited Saudi Arabia several times since Russia's invasion in 2022 but postponed a trip last month, saying he wasn't invited to the Russia-US talks.

R.Fournier--PS