Saudi Arabia is hosting peace talks this week for the war in Ukraine. On Sunday, officials from Ukraine met with officials from the U.S. Those same U.S. officials will meet with officials from Russia on Monday.
The U.S. interest in Ukrainian resources seems back on the table. Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said this on X: “We have concluded our meeting with the American team. The discussion was productive and focused — we addressed key points including energy. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s goal is to secure a just and lasting peace for our country and our people — and, by extension, for all of Europe. We are working to make that goal a reality.”
Steve Witcoff, the U.S. envoy in the middle east, told Tucker Carlson this weekend that the goal this week is to arrange a 30-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine that will be extended into a permanent agreement.
Ukrainian President Zelensky continues to repeat pie-in-the-sky demands such as NATO membership and regaining lost land but that seems to be because Europe wants to hear that, not because he will actually get those things. He may eventually stop speaking nonsense if a deal is reached.
It would be not a moment too soon. Moscow accused Ukraine of striking an oil depot and gas metering station in recent days, violating an “energy truce.” They warned that they reserve the right to retaliate, barring a peace deal.
