Zelenskyj said on Sunday in his recurring evening speech, broadcast via social media, that the responsibility to stop the invasion war lies with Russia's President Vladimir Putin.
"It doesn't matter what we talk about with our partners, we must pressure Putin to issue a real order to stop the attacks: the one who started the war must end it."
Neither Zelenskyj nor Putin will, according to reports, participate in person in the talks.
Kremlin's spokesperson Dmitrij Peskov said that "tough negotiations" await on Monday when the US envoy will have parallel talks with representatives from Russia and Ukraine in Saudi Arabia.
We are only at the beginning of this path, said Peskov to state-owned Russian TV on Sunday.
Real progress?
But USA's President Donald Trump has pushed for a quick end to the war that began with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff sounded positive in an interview with Fox News on Sunday.
I believe we will see real progress in Saudi Arabia, he said.
Witkoff added that the talks will initially focus on a ceasefire "over the Black Sea" regarding ships from both countries. From there, it's natural, according to the envoy, to continue towards a full-scale ceasefire.
A meeting between Ukrainian and American representatives began in Saudi Arabia on Sunday, confirmed Ukraine's Defense Minister Rustem Umerov on Facebook. He added that on the agenda are, among other things, proposals for protecting energy facilities and critical infrastructure.
Ukrainian grain export
Russian spokesperson Peskov said that the Kremlin's main focus in the talks will be to resume the agreement on Ukrainian grain export over the Black Sea despite the war.
He also pointed out that there are many remaining "questions" and "nuances" about how a ceasefire can be implemented.
Putin has previously rejected a joint proposal from the US and Ukraine for a 30-day ceasefire. Instead, he has suggested that attacks on energy facilities should stop.
