Ukrainian officials will hold talks with a U.S. technical team in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on March 23, a day before the U.S. plans to hold separate meetings with Ukrainian and Russian delegates on March 24.
The news was first reported by the media on March 21 and confirmed by President Volodymyr Zelensky on March 22.
A U.S.-Ukraine meeting "will take place tomorrow, March 23, in Saudi Arabia," Zelensky said.
Washington is also set to hold diplomatic talks with Moscow in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on March 23, according to U.S. Envoy Steve Witkoff.
Previously, Zelensky announced that Ukrainian and American delegations would hold talks in Riyadh on March 24. U.S. negotiators planned to hold separate meetings with Ukrainian and Russian delegates that day, in a format Special Envoy Keith Kellog described as "shuttle diplomacy."
CBS News correspondent Jennifer Jacobs reported on March 21 that Ukrainian officials would meet with U.S. representatives ahead of the March 24 talks.
"U.S. technical team intends to meet with Ukrainian officials on Sunday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, ahead of discussions on Monday with the Russians," Jacobs wrote on X, citing unnamed sources familiar with the talks.
"If progress is made in Riyadh with Russian team, the U.S. technical team may meet again with the Ukrainians' team later Monday," she said.
Zelensky's remarks on March 22 confirmed that Ukrainian officials are planning a meeting with a U.S. team on March 23.
Ukraine's delegation will be led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and Pavlo Palisa, the deputy head of the President's Office, an undisclosed Ukrainian source told Sky News. Both of these officials were present at the previous U.S.-Ukraine talks in Jeddah on March 11.
According to Zelensky, Kyiv is sending "technical teams" to flesh out the details of a potential partial ceasefire with Russia. Ukraine also made it clear that no direct communications between Ukraine and Russia will beheld in Riyadh.
Martin Fornusek
(Updated: )
