Trump plans Middle East visit amid Ukraine ceasefire talks
US President Donald Trump plans to visit Saudi Arabia in mid-May. This will be the first overseas trip for the American president since he assumed office in January this year, as reported by the Axios portal.
The potential visit of the US president has been under discussion between senior US officials and their Saudi counterparts, also on the margins of US-Russian and US-Ukrainian talks concerning the ceasefire in the war in Ukraine, which are taking place in Saudi Arabia - claims Axios.
According to the portal, the Saudis wish for the visit of the US president to occur after a truce is agreed upon between Russia and Ukraine. The White House and the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Washington have not commented on the details of the planned visit.
In early February, Donald Trump announced at a press conference following discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House that he intends to visit Saudi Arabia, as well as Israel and the Gaza Strip.
Discussions are taking place in Saudi Arabia regarding the war in Ukraine and a potential truce. Their outcome could greatly influence the further development of events in the region. Expectations are significant, especially concerning achieving a lasting ceasefire and resolving technical matters related to the ongoing conflict.
- For too long now, America's proposal for an unconditional ceasefire has been on the table without an adequate response from Russia - stated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday. According to him, this is due to insufficient pressure on Russia. He added that if it weren't for Russia's delay, an agreement on a truce could already be in place.
The United States proposed an initial 30-day ceasefire, which would be implemented in the air, at sea, and on land. Ukraine accepted the proposal, but Russia did not agree to it.
Ceasefire talks. Putin is not backing down
Last week, discussions between Russian-American and Ukrainian-American officials took place in Saudi Arabia. The result was a temporary agreement by the warring sides on a ceasefire in the Black Sea; however, over time, Russia declared that it would not adhere to this agreement unless the West lifted some of the sanctions imposed on it.
Russian leader Vladimir Putin suggested on Friday that Ukraine be placed under temporary administration before peace talks. Putin proposed that temporary administration could be established in Ukraine "under the auspices of the United Nations, with the United States, even with European countries, and, of course, with our partners and friends." This would lead to elections and the formation of a government, to then "discuss the possibility of introduction of temporary governance in Ukraine." The American side rejected this Kremlin plan.
Despite the Trump administration's declarations and efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Ukraine, no breakthrough has been achieved thus far.
