Zelensky Seeks Results, Rubio Rejects 'Map Lines' in Talks

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Tuesday's US-Ukraine talks in Saudi Arabia aim to clarify possible concessions for a ceasefire with Russia, though he downplayed the chances of a major breakthrough, according to Bloomberg.

“We’re not going to be sitting in a room drawing lines on a map, but just get a general sense of what concessions are in the realm of the possible for them and what they would need in return,” Rubio said, as reported by Bloomberg

“And then find out what the Russian position is in that regard. And that’ll give us a pretty good assessment of how far apart we truly are.”

Rubio noted that the US expects Ukraine to demonstrate a strong commitment to a diplomatic resolution. He also mentioned that a potential natural-resources deal, proposed by former President Donald Trump as a condition, will not be the focus of Tuesday's meeting, according to the report.

This is what Zelensky stated

President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Ukraine's stance in Tuesday's talks with U.S. officials in Saudi Arabia will be "completely constructive," expressing hopes for practical results in efforts to end the Russian war in Ukraine.

"We hope for practical outcomes," Zelenskiy said in a post on X. “Ukraine's position in these talks will be fully constructive.”

Zelensky, who visited Saudi Arabia ahead of the negotiations to meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, said a "significant" portion of his talks focused on security guarantees for Ukraine.

U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, told Fox News on Monday that Zelensky sent a letter to the President apologizing for the incident in the Oval Office. He described this as an important step and noted that extensive discussions had taken place between their teams, as well as with Ukrainian and key European counterparts, according to the report.