Senior officials from Ukraine and the United States began high-level discussions on Tuesday to explore ways to end Russia’s three-year war against Kyiv. The talks come just hours after Russia shot down 343 Ukrainian drones, marking the biggest aerial attack since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The massive drone assault, which spanned 10 Russian regions, resulted in the death of three people and left 18 others injured, including three children, according to Russian officials. Meanwhile, Russia retaliated by launching 126 Shahed drones and a ballistic missile at Ukraine, intensifying its relentless bombardment of civilian areas.
The U.S.-Ukraine talks signal a renewed push for a diplomatic resolution, even as military hostilities escalate on both sides, raising concerns about the worsening humanitarian and geopolitical crisis.
In the Red Sea port city of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, journalists briefly entered a room where a senior Ukrainian delegation met with America’s top diplomat for talks on ending Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio smiled for the cameras, and when asked what his expectations for the meeting were, he gave a thumbs up and replied, “Good.”
Across the table, Ukrainian officials, including the country's top diplomat and defense chief, sat without any facial expressions as the meeting got underway at a luxury hotel. There was no immediate comment from Ukrainian or U.S. officials on the drone attack.