US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to hold talks with Ukraine in Saudi Arabia as President Donald Trump decides whether to relent on an aid freeze to the wartime partner.

But what are these major players thinking ahead of fresh US-Ukraine talks in Saudi Arabia next week? Five BBC correspondents have analysed the week's events. Tom Bateman, State Department correspondent,

The US is "doing very well with Russia", and "it may be easier dealing with" Moscow than Kyiv, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Friday. Hours earlier, Trump had said he was "strongly considering" large-scale sanctions and tariffs on Russia until a ceasefire with Ukraine was reached.