Flags of Saudi Arabia and Ukraine on a road in the city of Jeddah ahead of Zelensky's arrival.
As 1111 days of war in Ukraine are marked, President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia before the talks in Jeddah tomorrow between Ukrainian and US officials on ending the war with Russia in an increasingly precarious situation for Kyiv.
The Ukrainian delegation will propose a ceasefire by sea and air to Russia during the negotiations with US officials on Tuesday in Saudi Arabia, as stated by a senior Ukrainian official to Afp on Monday.
The Kremlin has denied Russia's participation in new negotiations in Saudi Arabia with the United States.
Tomorrow's talks - the first official meeting since a disastrous encounter in the Oval Office between Zelensky and US President Donald Trump - are expected to focus on a bilateral agreement on minerals and how to end the war.
Meanwhile, Russian forces continue to advance in Kursk, according to Ukrainian war bloggers, and efforts are being made to extinguish a large fire in the Samara region following a nighttime drone attack by Ukraine.
EU Opens Call to Support Ukrainian SMEs with ¤1.6 Billion
The European Union (EU) announced on Monday a new call for proposals worth ¤1.6 billion to support small businesses and communities affected by the war in Ukraine, as well as recovery investments in the country.
The aim is to employ ¤1.6 billion through budget guarantees and combined financing grants to "help vulnerable groups, such as those affected by the war, as well as to assist in mine clearance efforts," as reported in a statement by the European Commission.
The proposal is intended to expand access to financial support for microenterprises, small and medium-sized enterprises through banks. Framed within the EU fund for Ukraine with backing of up to ¤50 billion, the initiative is designed to attract public and private investments supporting the recovery and reconstruction of the country invaded by Russia.
US Sees Progress in Ukraine Talks and Expects Agreement on Minerals
The United States expects substantial progress in the talks on Ukraine this week and is confident that an agreement on critical minerals can be signed, said on Monday Steve Witkoff, Middle East envoy of President Donald Trump.
Intelligence exchange will also be discussed in this week's meetings, Witkoff told Fox News just before heading to talks in the Middle East. However, he stated that the United States has never cut off access to intelligence for any defensive needs of the Ukrainians.
Starmer to Host Virtual Leaders Meeting on Ukraine
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will host a virtual meeting of world leaders on Saturday to discuss Ukraine, building on the summit held earlier this month in London, where the British leader announced the formation of a "volunteer coalition" to support Kiev.
"You can expect the Prime Minister to host a second meeting of leaders of the volunteer coalition, building on his Lancaster House summit," the spokesman told reporters, referring to the London meeting on March 2, as reported by Reuters.
Suspension of Arms Deliveries Has Not Impacted Russian Advance but Intelligence Cessation Has
The suspension of US arms deliveries has not yet affected the combat capability of the Ukrainians, stated a senior Ukrainian official to Afp on Monday, who, however, believes that the cessation of intelligence exchange may have weakened the Ukrainian forces occupying a small part of the Kursk region since the summer.
"There may be a link" between the halt in intelligence exchange and the advance of Russian forces in this area, noted the Ukrainian official.
Asked about Kiev's chances of resuming US aid, the Ukrainian official refrained from any speculation. However, he warned that a prolonged freeze by Washington in military intelligence exchange with Ukraine would give Russia "a significant advantage" on the battlefield.
On the other hand, he stated that the suspension of US arms deliveries has not yet impacted the combat capability of the Ukrainians: "It will not affect them quickly because there are reserves and other supplies (non-US), so it is not a problem today or tomorrow, but over time, it is likely to be noticed."
Washington has suspended its military aid and intelligence exchange, stating that it wants to compel Ukraine to agree to discuss a ceasefire.
A senior Ukrainian official: "Ceasefire options are easy to implement"
The Ukrainian delegation will propose to Russia a "ceasefire in the air" and "at sea" in the talks with the United States on Tuesday in Saudi Arabia, declared the official to Afp on Monday.
"We have a proposal for a ceasefire in the air and a ceasefire at sea because these are the ceasefire options that are easy to implement and monitor, and it is possible to start with them," said the official on condition of anonymity.
Ukrainian and US delegations are expected to meet on Tuesday in Saudi Arabia to discuss ways to end the war between Ukraine and Russia, which invaded its neighboring country over three years ago.
The Tuesday meeting is expected to be the first between Ukrainian and US officials since the disastrous visit of Volodymyr Zelensky to the White House at the end of February, which ended in a spectacular verbal dispute.
Kremlin Optimistic after Recent Russian Advances in Kursk Region
The Kremlin expressed confidence on Monday that its Army, in light of recent advances, will drive Ukrainian troops out of the Kursk region, where they broke in August 2024 and currently occupy part of its territory.
"Of course, there are no deadlines. Our military is doing everything possible to clear our land of guerrillas. We have no doubt that it will be so," said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov in his daily phone briefing, as reported by Efe.
Peskov responded to a question about when the Kursk region will be fully liberated.
"We wish success to our fighters, to our heroes," added the spokesman.
This Sunday, Russian forces recaptured the town of Lebedevka, located about seven kilometers north of Sudzha, the largest city under Ukrainian Army control in Kursk.
Russian Arms Exports Drop by 64% in the Last Five Years
Russian arms exports have dropped by 64% in the last five years, relegating Russia to the third position behind France and the United States, according to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) published on Monday, as reported by Efe.
The study indicates that the top ten arms exporters remain the same compared to the previous five years, while Russia falls to the third position (7.8%) behind France (9.6%), with the United States remaining in the first position (43%).
Russian arms exports suffered significant declines, especially in 2020 and 2021, on the eve of the Russian military campaign in Ukraine.
The report highlights that sales to the two main customers of the Russian military industry had weakened before 2022, "with India increasingly favoring other suppliers, and China acquiring more weapons from its growing domestic industry."