JEDDAH — US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he expects good results out of US talks with Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia. "We're going to make a lot of progress, I believe, this week," he said. US officials will meet on Tuesday with a Ukrainian delegation in Saudi Arabia in part to determine whether Ukraine is willing to make material concessions to Russia to end the war. Also hanging over the talks in Jeddah is the fate of a minerals deal between Washington and Kyiv, Al-Arabiya reported. The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs has welcomed hosting the meeting between United States and Ukraine, scheduled for next week in Jeddah. "Saudi Arabia will continue its efforts to achieve lasting peace to end the Ukrainian crisis," the ministry said while noting that Saudi Arabia has continued these efforts over the past three years by hosting many meetings in this regard. Trump said on Sunday he thought Ukraine would sign the minerals agreement, which Ukraine wants to contain a US security guarantee. "They will sign the minerals deal but I want them to want peace... They haven't shown it to extent they should," he said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Trump had been slated to sign the minerals accord - which would give the US access to certain mineral resources in Ukraine - before Zelenskyy's White House visit erupted into a clash between the two leaders, after which it was not signed. Zelenskyy said recently that he will visit Saudi Arabia on Monday for meeting with Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, and that Ukrainian diplomatic and military representatives would meet with the US team on Tuesday. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will visit Saudi Arabia over March 10-12 for talks with Ukrainian counterparts, a recent statement from the US Department of State said. Rubio will also have a meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the statement from spokesperson Tammy Bruce said. Rubio had spoken with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha last Friday and said President Donald Trump wanted to end the Russia-Ukraine war as soon as possible.
