Zelenskiy faces US pressure to cede territory as Trump halts military aid and negotiates with Russia

Diplomatic tensions between the United States and Ukraine have reached a breaking point as officials from both nations gather in Saudi Arabia for urgent talks. The high-stakes meeting follows a disastrous confrontation between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy at the White House, which has left US military aid to Kyiv in limbo.

Trump, who took office in January, has radically shifted Washington’s stance on the Russia-Ukraine war, opting for rapid negotiations rather than sustained support for Kyiv. His administration has cut off military assistance, frozen intelligence sharing, and sought direct engagement with Moscow—all under the guise of seeking a swift end to the war.

The situation escalated last month when Zelenskiy, desperate for continued US backing, clashed with Trump in a meeting that ended in diplomatic disaster. The fallout from that encounter has left a crucial minerals deal hanging by a thread. Trump had framed the agreement as a condition for continued US support, effectively tying future aid to Ukraine’s willingness to sign off on a lucrative minerals contract—one that Kyiv sees as inadequate compensation for the billions of dollars in military assistance it has received since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.

Now, with the fate of Ukraine’s territorial integrity at stake, top US and Ukrainian officials are set to meet in Jeddah. Leading the American delegation is Secretary of State Marco Rubio, accompanied by National Security Adviser Mike Waltz. Ukraine’s delegation, headed by Andriy Yermak, a close aide to Zelenskiy, will attempt to salvage relations. However, Zelenskiy himself has notably chosen to stay away from the talks, instead holding separate meetings with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

“We need to understand what concessions Ukraine is willing to make,” Rubio said en route to the meeting. “There won’t be a ceasefire unless both sides give something up.”

This ominous statement has fuelled fears that Washington is pressuring Kyiv to surrender occupied territories in exchange for peace. Russia currently controls around 20% of Ukraine, including Crimea, which it annexed in 2014, and large swathes of the eastern Donetsk region.

European allies have warned against any hasty negotiations that could legitimise Russia’s aggression. Zelenskiy himself has repeatedly insisted that Vladimir Putin has no interest in genuine peace and has warned that a Ukrainian defeat could embolden Moscow to attack other European nations.

Despite these concerns, Trump’s administration appears intent on forcing a deal. Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy for the Middle East, has been drafted into Ukraine diplomacy and is reportedly preparing to visit Moscow for another meeting with Putin. Witkoff previously met the Russian president last month, signalling a shift in US strategy that prioritises direct talks with the Kremlin over unwavering support for Ukraine.

The decision to host negotiations in Saudi Arabia underscores Riyadh’s growing influence in global diplomacy. The kingdom has already facilitated rare discussions between US and Russian officials in February, marking a departure from the total diplomatic freeze that existed under former President Joe Biden.

As the Jeddah talks unfold, uncertainty looms over Ukraine’s future. Will Kyiv be forced to accept territorial losses to secure peace? Can Zelenskiy resist mounting US pressure without losing crucial Western support? One thing is clear—Trump’s new strategy has thrown Ukraine into a perilous new phase of its struggle against Russia, with the stakes higher than ever.