Zelensky holds military cabinet meet in Kharkiv ahead of US talks in Saudi Arabia

By Anjali Sharma

WASHINGTON – President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday held a meeting of the military cabinet in Kharkiv, ahead of talks with US officials in Saudi Arabia tomorrow state and local media reported.

Zelensky noted that during the meeting, he received briefings from Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, and Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Andrii Hnatov.

Head of the President’s Office, Andriy Yermak, and his deputy, Pavlo Palisa, attended the meeting, media reported.

Zelensky said “We discussed the situation at the front and the developments in main directions Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Sumy as well as the course of the operation in the Kursk region. We also prepared for the meeting between the Ukrainian and American delegations, which will take place tomorrow in Saudi Arabia”.

Ukrainian and US officials are expected to meet in Saudi Arabia on March 24 for continued peace talks, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a post to social media on Wednesday.

US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin held phone talk on March 18, a partial ceasefire on energy infrastructure strikes was agreed upon.

Zelensky and Trump held a subsequent call on March 19 to discuss the US President’s conversation with Putin the day prior, with Zelensky ultimately agreed to stop strikes on Russian energy infrastructure.

Zelensky’s announcement came as US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz said on March 19 on X that talks between Russian and American delegations to discuss a ceasefire in Ukraine will also take place on March 24 in Riyadh.

“Ukrainian and American teams are ready to meet in Saudi Arabia in the coming days to continue coordinating steps toward peace. We instructed our advisors and representatives to carry out this work as quickly as possible,” Zelensky said after the call.

Zelensky voiced that the US and Ukrainian delegations will continue to work out “technical issues” regarding the partial ceasefire.

Zelensky said that Kyiv will compile a list of energy, infrastructure, and civilian sites that Russia must cease attacking and present the document to international partners during a joint press conference with Finnish President Alexander Stubb in Helsinki on March 20,.

“In further meetings, the teams can agree on all necessary aspects of advancing toward lasting peace and security guarantees,” he said.

Ukrainian and the US delegations met in Saudi Arabia on March 11, where Ukraine agreed to a US proposal for a complete ceasefire. Russia did not agree to a complete ceasefire.

Ukrainian and US relations were at a low point after a heated argument in the White House between Zelensky and Trump on February 28.

US military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine were paused for several days until the two sides met in Saudi Arabia on March 11.

Ukrainian delegation included Andriy Yermak, Zelensky’s Chief of Staff, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, and Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Pavlo Palisa.