Rustem Umarov, Ukraine’s defense minister, is slated to join high-level negotiations between Ukraine and the United States in Saudi Arabia on March 24. The plan was outlined during a briefing led by President Volodymyr Zelensky and other senior Ukrainian officials, with officials close to the talks confirming the arrangement and signaling confidence in the agenda.
The president described the delegation as a team at the top of its game. He noted that the mission would include technically proficient specialists, with the defense minister taking part separately to keep different tracks moving. The president emphasized that the group would move swiftly and be thoroughly prepared, aiming to translate discussions into tangible steps on the ground. “The team will be at the highest level”, Zelensky stated, “they are technically proficient, the defense minister will participate separately, and we expect a swift, well-prepared process.”
On March 11, Kyiv and Washington advanced negotiations with Ukraine represented by the president’s envoy, the foreign minister, and the defense minister. On the American side, senior officials charged with foreign policy and national security participated. Observers noted the dynamic as sides tested the framework for future security commitments.
Early reports described the first round as a preliminary discussion on deconfliction in maritime and aerial domains, with limited concessions on certain sectors. In the second round, negotiators reportedly focused on security guarantees that would underpin any peace framework and ceasefire proposal.
Before these discussions, officials signaled that the central objective was to lay out a peace framework and a ceasefire arrangement. Kyiv aimed to secure clear security assurances from Washington and to insist on terms that would reinforce Ukraine’s sovereignty, seeking verifiable commitments and practical support.
Zelensky has previously drawn a red line around the rejection of any attempt to redraw Ukraine’s borders or partition its territory. He has stressed that Kyiv will defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and that any settlement must respect internationally recognized boundaries, with robust monitoring to deter violations.