US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was set to head Sunday to Saudi Arabia for talks with Ukraine as President Donald Trump decides whether to relent on an aid freeze to the wartime partner.
The State Department also confirmed Rubio would travel to Group of Seven talks in Canada, making him the senior-most official to visit since the return of Trump, who has launched a trade war with the US neighbor and mocked its sovereignty.
In the talks from Monday through Wednesday in Jeddah, Rubio will discuss how to “advance the president’s goal to end the Russia-Ukraine war”, State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said, steering clear of pre-Trump phrasing of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has previously announced that he will be in Jeddah, as has Trump confidant and envoy Steve Witkoff.
Trump suspended aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine after a disastrous February 28 meeting with Zelensky at the White House. The Republican and Vice President JD Vance publicly dressed Zelensky down for alleged ingratitude over billions of dollars worth of previous US weapons shipments.
Zelensky left without signing an agreement demanded by Trump in which Ukraine would hand over much of its mineral wealth to the United States, which Trump argues will compensate US taxpayers for the assistance provided under former president Joe Biden.
Zelensky has since said he is ready to sign the minerals deal and sent a conciliatory letter to Trump, who read it at his address to Congress on Tuesday.
Keith Kellogg, the US special envoy on Russia and Ukraine, said Thursday he would support resuming assistance once Zelensky signs the deal — but that the decision was ultimately up to Trump.
NBC News, quoting unnamed sources, said Trump was unlikely to relent just with the minerals deal and would want to be assured that Zelensky is ready to make concessions to Russia.
Stunned European leaders have been racing to find ways to make up for US aid, although Zelensky himself has said that there is no substitute for Washington’s security guarantees in a deal with Russia.
Russia, which invaded three years ago, has not let up in striking Ukraine including its energy infrastructure. Trump on Friday also threatened to tighten sanctions on Russia if it does not come to the table.
Rubio met his Russian counterpart last month, breaking a Biden-era freeze on such high-level contacts, and spoke of future economic cooperation if the war ends. Those talks also took place in Saudi Arabia, which has positioned itself as a key diplomatic partner for Trump.
Rubio will also meet in Jeddah with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom’s de facto ruler, the State Department said.
Trump is expected to push hard for Saudi Arabia to recognise Israel, a prospect that seems remote until a permanent end to the Gaza conflict— a priority for Witkoff as he travels the region.
Rubio will then head to Quebec for a meeting of the Group of Seven foreign ministers where his spokeswoman said he will work to “further US interests in peace and security, strategic cooperation, and global stability”.
She made no mention of tensions with Canada, which Trump has mocked as the “51st state” as he unleashes tariffs, although he has partially backed off, faced with a slide on stock markets.
