Lu Biao: The result of the meeting with Saudi Arabia is crucial to restoring aid to Ukrainian army.

On Monday (March 10), US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the United States hopes to have a “productive meeting” between Saudi Arabia and Ukraine, and the outcome of the meeting will be crucial for resuming military aid to Ukraine.

On Tuesday, the US and Ukraine will hold a high-level meeting in Saudi Arabia.

According to CNN, Rubio told reporters on his way to Saudi Arabia on Monday that the outcome of the Saudi meeting “will be key to ending the US’s suspension of military aid to Ukraine.” He added that he hopes the issue can be resolved.

“I think if we have a satisfactory meeting there and can report back to the President, then I think (the US) will make a decision on the suspension issue,” Rubio said.

He also mentioned that “Ukraine has already received all the defensive intelligence information we have provided.”

Rubio stated that the mineral agreement is still under negotiation and may not reach a consensus at the Tuesday meeting. “There are more details that need to be worked out,” he said.

The US-Ukraine meeting on Tuesday is the first high-level meeting between the US and Ukraine since Ukrainian President Zelensky visited the White House and the talks broke down.

The Washington Post reported that a senior US State Department official said on Rubio’s plane to reporters: “They (Ukrainians) are coming here at a high level, which is a good sign for us, indicating that they want to sit down and are ready to move forward.”

US officials indicated that the resumption of military and intelligence support will depend on Ukraine’s actions as the US seeks to accelerate the ceasefire process between Ukraine and Russia. Officials did not disclose their names as they were discussing sensitive diplomatic issues.

The Ukrainian delegation will be led by Zelensky’s senior aide Andriy Yermak, along with Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, and Deputy Chief of the President’s Office Pavlo Palisa. Zelensky will not attend the meeting but will travel to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

A Ukrainian official told The Washington Post: “These are two separate events.”

In a video address late Sunday, Zelensky said, “We hope to achieve results – to bring peace closer and to continue to receive support.”

Ukraine and the US are negotiating an agreement that would allow the US to participate in rare earth mining in Ukraine. US officials stated that this would provide a form of security for Ukraine as Americans involved in mining operations would work locally, but many Ukrainian officials believe this arrangement does not adequately reflect US security commitments.

This week’s meeting may officially restore intelligence sharing between the US and Ukraine. On Sunday, when asked if he would consider lifting the intelligence suspension, Trump said, “We’ve almost done it. I mean, we’ve really almost done it. We are making every effort to get Ukraine to take it seriously and achieve some kind of result.”

Among the suspended intelligence services are satellite image services provided to Ukrainian artillery and drone units, which are used to assess high-value targets and monitor Russian positions and warehouses.

Rubio clarified that Ukraine “is currently receiving defensive intel information.”

The US has also halted the transfer of $3.85 billion worth of remaining military equipment to Ukraine and has stopped delivering weapons approved by the Biden administration that were in transit.