Britain Advises Ukraine Ahead of High-Stakes U.S. Peace Talks in Saudi Arabia

Britain is advising Ukraine on handling peace talks with the United States as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy prepares ahead of negotiations with the U.S. in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, March 11.

The move comes as the UK also seeks to persuade U.S. President Donald Trump to resume intelligence sharing with Kyiv following an abrupt cutoff that could hinder Ukraine’s defenses against Russian attacks, The Times reported on March 9.

The discussions follow Zelenskyy’s claims that Russia had launched hundreds of attacks over the past week, including “1,200 guided aerial bombs, nearly 870 attack drones, and over 80 missiles of different types,” according to a statement he posted on X.

Zelenskyy, who will meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on March 10, will not attend the U.S.-Ukraine negotiations, leaving his chief of staff, Andrii Yermak, to lead Ukraine’s delegation. The UK is not expected to participate but may send officials if requested by Ukraine.

The UK government believes Trump could still be convinced to restore intelligence sharing, which officials see as a more immediate priority than resuming military aid, which has also been suspended.

Speaking on March 9, Trump said his administration had “just about” lifted the intelligence pause and was also “looking at a lot of things” regarding new tariffs on Russia.

Over the weekend, Starmer spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte about the need to restore intelligence-sharing with Kyiv. Powell has also been in discussions with U.S. National Security Adviser Mike Waltz.

Trump’s stance on Ukraine remains unclear. Speaking to Fox Business, he said Ukraine “may not survive” the war, even with U.S. support. His remarks followed comments by Polish President Andrzej Duda, who questioned Europe’s ability to prevent a Russian victory.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to travel to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for talks with Ukrainian officials “to advance the president’s goal to end the Russia-Ukraine war,” according to a spokesperson. The statement notably avoided the term “invasion,” previously used by the Biden administration.

Earlier, on March 9, American billionaire Elon Musk stated he will “never” disable Starlink satellite terminals in Ukraine, regardless of his views on the country’s policies.