In an unusual twist of diplomacy, top Trump administration officials will huddle with a Ukrainian delegation in Saudi Arabia, navigating the rocky waters of peacemaking while keeping an eye on Russia’s game plan.

With Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the helm, this meeting aims to mend a strained U.S.-Ukraine relationship after Trump controversially hit the pause button on military aid. As Ukraine pushes for a partial ceasefire and both sides brace for some tough negotiating, it seems like peace talks are less about finesse and more about figuring out which diplomatic chess pieces to sacrifice this week.

Rubio, embracing his role as both diplomat and mediator, stated rather dramatically that the U.S. is currently in 'listening mode.' This means his team will be all ears to any concessions that Ukraine might consider reasonable for the sake of peace. It’s nice to know that listening is still an option in international relations—it's a refreshing change from the usual shouting matches.

Amidst these talks, President Zelensky has been insistent on one critical point: any agreements reached must include significant deterrents against future Russian aggression. This aligns closely with the age-old adage that if you're going to share a bed with a bear, you should at least have a baseball bat handy. Fair enough, one might argue.

The backdrop to this gathering is a rather sticky one. Just weeks prior, a frosty Oval Office meeting took place featuring Trump, Zelensky, and Vice President JD Vance. Following this tense tête-à-tête, Trump suspended US military aid and paused intelligence support for Ukraine, leaving many to wonder if the past administration was auditioning for a new role in the reality show headline: 'How to Chill a War.'

While military and intelligence support continues to some extent, U.S. defense officials indicated that the details being shared are now more closely guarded. Apparently, the intelligence community has decided that less really is more, adopting a kind of minimalist approach to information sharing that even the most avant-garde artists would envy.

As the waters of diplomacy churn beneath them, Ukraine is reportedly proposing a partial ceasefire during these chats. This ceasefire would mostly concern long-range air strikes and naval attacks—essentially setting down the weapons while the world looks on. Presumably, this is so everyone can take a collective deep breath and check if their remaining sanity is still intact.

Interestingly, the conversation also includes the important matter of finalizing a mineral deal between the U.S. and Ukraine. Secretary Rubio mentioned that finalizing a mineral deal between the US and Ukraine is an important topic of discussion. A good mineral deal can be a significant factor in economic discussions—unless, of course, you’re trying to extract happiness from the rubble of a war.

As an added layer of complexity, there’s an impending meeting between U.S. officials and Russian representatives later in the week. This just goes to show that diplomacy is akin to juggling awkwardly with flaming swords while riding a unicycle. One wrong move and everything could go up in flames—though it is a rather skilled way to entertain a crowd.

In this complicated quilt of negotiations, Rubio pointedly noted that both Russia and Ukraine are poised to face 'difficult things' if they ever hope to come to a peace agreement. 'Difficult things' sounds like the title of an overly earnest self-help book, and one cannot help but imagine that its chapters would focus on personal growth through political struggle—the first edition available only in paperback.

Perhaps the most amusing twist comes from Zelensky's recent engagement with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. In their rendezvous, they discussed security guarantees, undoubtedly trying to figure out just how to secure a future that seems more like a game of poker with wild cards than a well-laid plan for diplomacy. In a world where it sometimes appears that negotiations are just elaborate icebreaker games gone wrong, it's refreshing to see two leaders earnestly trying to prevent the ice from cracking beneath their feet.

As delegates wrangle over what peace might look like, one must wonder how many more meetings it will take before they realize that perhaps a neutral zone consisting solely of large sandwiches and good coffee may just be the answer they seek. After all, if you can’t find common ground over lunch, how can you find common ground over a ceasefire? And in this case, as always, the very real hope lingers that a taste of civility can perhaps lead to a dish of peace.