**ISTANBUL**
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday following his arrival in the kingdom, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
No further details were provided about the discussions.
Earlier, Rubio landed in Jeddah, a western coastal city, as reported by Saudi news channel Al-Ekhbariya.
Hours later, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also arrived at Jeddah’s airport, with plans to meet Rubio, according to the same outlet.
The meetings follow a March 8 phone call between Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha and Rubio, where they discussed the anticipated US-Ukraine talks in Saudi Arabia.
Sybiha stated then that “Ukraine wants the war to end, and US leadership is essential for achieving lasting peace.”
Saudi Arabia previously hosted a notable meeting on Feb. 18, bringing Rubio together with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to explore peace prospects for Ukraine.
On Feb. 24, 2022, Russia launched a military offensive against Ukraine. Moscow demands Kyiv abandon aspirations to join Western military alliances as a condition for peace, a stance Ukraine views as “interference” in its sovereignty.
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