High-stakes talks aim to mend Kyiv's rift with US

Senior US and Ukrainian officials have arrived in Saudi Arabia for high-stakes meetings today aimed at repairing a severely damaged relationship that has left embattled Kyiv without Washington's support.

- Oliver Holmes Andrew, Roth Washington

Ukraine's delegation, led by Volodymyr Zelenskyy's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, will meet the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, and other senior White House officials on what is seen as neutral ground in the Saudi city of Jeddah.

It will be the first official meeting for the two governments since a disastrous Oval Office argument between Zelenskyy and Donald Trump, after which the US leader cut off crucial military assistance and intelligence sharing.

The two presidents will not take part in the talks, though Zelenskyy was in Jeddah yesterday to meet the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, whose government has played a mediating role between Ukraine and Russia.

Zelenskyy has also sent his foreign and defence ministers to Jeddah. "On our side, we are fully committed to constructive dialogue, and we hope to discuss and agree on the necessary decisions and steps," he said in a post on X. "Realistic proposals are on the table. The key is to move quickly and effectively." Russian forces - emboldened after Ukraine lost support from its biggest backer - have seized the moment, launching barrages of ballistic missile attacks while attempting to surround thousands of Ukrainian troops who had maintained a seven-month foothold in the Russian region of Kursk.