British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday held a telephone conversation with American President Donald Trump ahead of the US-Ukraine dialogue in Jeddah city in Saudi Arabia.
Sharing details about the interaction between the two leaders, 10 Downing Street said in a statement: “The Prime Minister said that UK officials had been speaking to Ukraine officials over the weekend and they remain committed to a lasting peace.”
The Prime Minister said he hoped there would be a positive outcome to the talks that would enable the US aid and intelligence sharing to be restarted.
“The two leaders also spoke about the economic deal they had discussed at the White House and the Prime Minister welcomed the detailed conversations that had already happened to move this forward. Both leaders agreed to stay in touch,” the statement said.
Zelenskyy in Saudi Arabia
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had a ‘good’ meeting with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah.
In his X post, Zelenskyy said, “I had a good meeting with Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman. I am grateful for his wise perspective on global affairs and support for Ukraine. It was especially important to hear words of confidence in Ukraine’s future.”
“We discussed all key issues on the agenda—both bilateral matters and cooperation with other partners. I acknowledged the Crown Prince’s efforts in bringing true peace closer. Saudi Arabia provides a crucial platform for diplomacy, and we appreciate this,” he said.
He said Ukraine’s position in the ‘peace’ talks will remain constructive.
Rubio thanks Crown Prince Salman
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, who is also visiting the Middle East nation, met Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman Al Saud in Jeddah on Monday morning.
“The Secretary thanked the Crown Prince for once again hosting the United States in talks to help resolve the Ukraine war and secure a lasting peace,” read the statement issued by the Department of State.
Rubio and Zelenskyy are currently in Saudi Arabia for high-stakes talks over the Ukraine issue.
The meeting will take place just days after Zelenskyy was involved in a fiery spat with Trump during their White House meeting.
