Ukraine-US talks begin in Jeddah amid drone attacks on Russia
Ukraine-US talks begin in Jeddah amid drone attacks on Russia
High-level talks between Ukraine and the United States began on Tuesday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, amid a major escalation in drone attacks on Russian territory.US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Ukrainian officials met at a luxury hotel in the Red Sea port city, with Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister also present. The two delegations sat across from each other as journalists briefly entered the room before the meeting began. Flags of the US, Ukraine and Saudi Arabia were displayed in the background, but officials did not respond to media questions.
Record drone assault on Russian territory
The talks coincided with what Russian officials described as the biggest Ukrainian drone assault of the war so far. Russia’s defence ministry said its air defences shot down 337 drones overnight across 10 regions. Most were intercepted over the Kursk and Moscow regions, while others targeted Belgorod, Bryansk, Voronezh, Kaluga, Lipetsk, Nizhny Novgorod, Oryol and Ryazan.Ukraine-US
Moscow’s Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said more than 70 drones targeted the capital. Some residential buildings and vehicles were damaged, while airports including Domodedovo, Vnukovo and Sheremetyevo temporarily halted flights. Train services in parts of the Moscow region were also disrupted. Authorities reported two deaths and 18 injuries, including three children. In the Lipetsk region, one person was wounded on a highway. The roof of a residential building in Moscow also sustained what officials described as minor damage.
Ceasefire proposal and minerals deal on the agenda
The Jeddah meeting marks a renewed diplomatic push after tensions flared during President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Washington last month. Ukrainian officials said they plan to propose a ceasefire in the Black Sea region to ensure safe shipping routes, halt long-range missile attacks on civilians, and press for the release of prisoners.
Separately, Kyiv is also preparing to sign an agreement granting the US access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals, a deal Washington has been eager to secure. Two senior Ukrainian officials said the agreement could be signed during the current round of talks, though it remains a broad memorandum of understanding.
Russia reiterates demands as war continues
There has been no formal response from Moscow to the proposed ceasefire. The Kremlin has repeatedly said it is ready to halt hostilities only if Ukraine abandons its bid to join NATO and recognises Russian control over occupied territories. Despite Western backing for Ukraine, Russian forces have maintained momentum along the front line, particularly in the eastern Donetsk region.Ukraine-US
Speaking to reporters en route to Jeddah, Rubio said the US was not presenting any fixed proposals in the talks and was instead seeking to understand what Ukraine might be willing to consider. He stressed that the minerals deal was not a precondition for further dialogue, and that details of the agreement might need more time to be finalised. “We want to listen to what Ukraine is willing to consider,” Rubio said. “Then we can compare that with Russia’s position and see how far apart we really are.”
