Ukrainian and United States officials convened in Saudi Arabia on Sunday to discuss strategies for protecting critical infrastructure, including energy facilities, according to Ukraine’s Defense Minister Rustem Umerov. The high-level discussions were part of a broader diplomatic effort led by U.S. President Donald Trump to bring an end to the war that has gripped Ukraine for three years and become the most lethal conflict in Europe since the Second World War. This meeting came ahead of scheduled talks on Monday between U.S. and Russian officials. U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff conveyed optimism about potential progress, stating, “I feel that (Russian President Vladimir Putin) wants peace.” He added, “I think that you’re going to see in Saudi Arabia on Monday some real progress, particularly as it affects a Black Sea ceasefire on ships between both countries. And from that, you’ll naturally gravitate into a full-on shooting ceasefire.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy described the atmosphere of Sunday’s talks as “completely constructive,” emphasizing that although discussions were productive, a real cessation of violence hinges on decisions from Moscow. “The conversation is quite useful, the work of the delegations is continuing. But no matter what we say to our partners today, we need to get Putin to give a real order to stop the strikes,” Zelenskiy said in a televised statement. Defense Minister Umerov, who led the Ukrainian delegation, reinforced that the purpose of these engagements was to bring a “just peace closer and to strengthen security,” even as Zelenskiy characterized the day’s meetings as primarily “technical.”
Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to a proposal from President Trump for both sides to halt attacks on each other’s energy infrastructure for a period of 30 days. However, the ceasefire has already come under strain. Despite the agreement, fresh attacks were reported by both nations. Ukraine experienced a large-scale Russian drone assault on Kyiv overnight, which claimed the lives of at least three individuals, including a five-year-old child. Fires broke out in high-rise apartment buildings, causing widespread destruction throughout the capital. In response, Russian officials reported that air defenses had intercepted 59 Ukrainian drones targeting the country’s southwestern areas. They confirmed one casualty in Rostov resulting from the strikes.
