Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the EU headquarters in Brussels, March 6, 2025. /VCG

Ukraine will present the United States on Tuesday with a plan for a partial ceasefire with Russia, hoping to restore support from its key benefactor, which under President Donald Trump has demanded concessions to end the three-year conflict.

The talks in Saudi Arabia will be the most senior since a disastrous White House meeting on February 28, when Trump berated Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for purported ingratitude.

Zelenskyy, who wrote a repentant letter to Trump, flew to the port city of Jeddah to meet Saudi leaders.

In a meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ahead of the U.S.-Ukraine talks, Zelenskyy discussed Ukraine's conditions for any permanent peace deal, including the release of prisoners and the return of children Kyiv accuses Moscow of abducting, the Ukrainian leader's office said in a statement Monday.

The two leaders "discussed the possible mediation of Saudi Arabia in the release of military and civilian prisoners and the return of deported children", the statement said.

Zelenskyy has said he will not attend Tuesday's talks with U.S. officials, and the Ukrainian delegation will include his chief of staff, his foreign and defense ministers and a top military official in the presidential administration.

"On our side, we are fully committed to constructive dialogue, and we hope to discuss and agree on the necessary decisions and steps," Zelenskyy said in a post on X.

"Realistic proposals are on the table. The key is to move quickly and effectively."

Since Trump's dressing down of Zelenskyy, Washington has suspended military aid to Ukraine as well as intelligence sharing and access to satellite imagery in a bid to force it to the negotiating table.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who will be joined by Trump's national security advisor Mike Waltz, said the aid suspension was "something I hope we can resolve" in the talks on Tuesday. He said that the United States had not cut off intelligence for defensive operations.

Zelenskyy left the White House without signing an agreement demanded by Trump that would give the United States access to much of Ukraine's mineral wealth as compensation for past weapons supplies.

Zelenskyy has said he is still willing to sign, although Rubio said it would not be the focus of Tuesday's talks.

(With input from AFP, Reuters)