Neither Ukraine nor Russia "has the cards" in potential peace negotiations, U.S. President Donald Trump told journalists on March 10 ahead of talks between the U.S. and Ukraine in Saudi Arabia.
The Ukrainian and U.S. delegations are to hold talks on March 11 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on ending Russia's war. The participants are expected to discuss potential ceasefire options and a mineral resource deal between the U.S. and Ukraine.
"I say they (Ukraine) don't have the cards. Nobody really has the cards. Russia doesn't have the cards. What you have to do is you have to make a deal, and you have to stop the killing. It's a senseless war, and we are going to get it stopped," Trump said.
Trump's recent statement contradicts his previous ones, in which he claimed the opposite about Ukraine and Russia.
On Feb. 20, Trump said that Russia held "the cards" in any peace talks with Ukraine as it occupies a significant part of Ukrainian territory.
Eight days later, the U.S. president told his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, during a heated argument in the White House that he "was not in a good position" regarding the war and did not have "the right cards."
Following the spat in the Oval Office on Feb. 28, the U.S. suspended its military and intelligence aid for Ukraine. The Ukrainian delegation is expected to discuss the resumption of military aid in Saudi Arabia.
The delegations will also discuss territorial issues, security protocols, and intelligence sharing, according to Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff.
Alisa Yurchenko
