Marco Rubio Meets Saudi Crown Prince in Jeddah; Middle East and Ukraine Discussed

On Monday evening, March 11, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah. Senior officials from both countries discussed Yemen and the threats posed by Houthi terrorists that threaten global trade, U.S. interests, and Saudi citizens and infrastructure. The U.S. State Department issued a statement regarding the meeting, mentioning that the two sides also exchanged views on the situation in Syria and ways to promote a stable, terrorism-free government and the reconstruction of Gaza. During this meeting, the U.S. Secretary of State reiterated America's firm commitment to preventing Hamas's role in the future of Gaza and thanked the Saudi Crown Prince for hosting the U.S. again in negotiations to help resolve the Ukraine war and ensure lasting peace. A high-level U.S. delegation is scheduled to meet with senior Ukrainian officials on Tuesday, March 12, to discuss issues arising between the two countries and the topic of ending the war with Russia. In this context, Reuters reported that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has arrived in Jeddah and also met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday. Former President Donald Trump stated on Sunday, March 10, that he expects this week's negotiations between U.S. and Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia to yield good results. Rubio commented on the Iranian government's reaction to Trump's letter, stating that they have only received what Khamenei has publicly said. He expressed hope regarding the outcomes of his meeting with Ukrainian officials. Zelensky's trip to Saudi Arabia comes ahead of sensitive negotiations with the U.S. Trump expressed optimism about the results of the negotiations with Ukraine in Saudi Arabia. Direct negotiations between the U.S. and Russia are also being pursued, this time in Istanbul, Turkey.