Russian officials held a round of conversations on Monday with U.S. representatives in Saudi Arabia, after a similar meeting a day earlier between North -American and Ukrainian delegations. The conversations aim to eliminate the details of a possible limited cessation of what could be a crucial step towards a complete cessation of hostilities in the Russian war with Ukraine.
Russia and Ukraine agreed last week to stop the strikes of energy infrastructure temporarily, but how and when this partial truce has to be decided As attacks persist.
Meetings, held in Riyadh, the Saudi capital, with North -American representatives – are expected to be concentrated in publicizing these details and safety for sending to the Black Sea.
Dmitri S. Peskov, a spokesman for the Kremlin, said on Monday that the Russian delegation would discuss shipments to the Black Sea and the restoration of an agreed grain agreement by 2022 that allowed to export millions of tons of Ukrainian grain. Russia Retired from agreement by 2023saying that western sanctions severely limited their own ability to export agricultural products.
Peskov added that President Vladimir V. Putin was informed about discussions and that no additional information would be published publicly while negotiations were made.
The Russian Interfax news agency reported that Grigory B. Karasin, a Russian Russian Russian diplomat and legislator, had described the conversations as « creative ».
« It is important to keep in touch and understand the other’s point of view, » added Karasin. « We manage to do it. »
Rustem umerovUkraine’s Minister of Defense, said that his delegation talks on Sunday had lasted about five hours. « The discussion was productive and focused: we addressed key points including energy, » he wrote on social mediaWithout offering details.
Serhii Leshchenko, an advisor to the Ukrainian President’s office, said that the Kiev delegation would have additional debates with US officials on Monday, after Moscow-Washington talks. But he warned that he was waiting for an imminent agreement, saying -in Ukrainian media that « negotiations are usually not concluded in a single day; sometimes it takes months. »
Steven Witkoff, whom President Trump has touched to be his Sent personal to Mr. PutinHe said that the final goal of the talks is a complete cessation of 30 days that would allow time for negotiations on a permanent truce.
But the road to a truce has been trembling. Moscow continues to insist on Maximalist positionsIncluding -the statement of territorial control and ensure that Ukraine never joins NATO. The Ukrainian government has repeatedly said that it will not grant the demands of the Kremlin and accused Mr. Putin of stopping over time.
Unlike Discussions prior to cessation of firewhich involved the highest government officials on all parties, this new round will focus on technical issues and will involve mostly government diplomats and advisers. Keith Kellogg, the U.S. special envoy to Ukraine, said that the North -American Delegation would include some of its own staff members, along with Michael Anton, director of Policy Planning at the State Department and helping National Security Councilor Michael Waltz.
The Russian delegation
Peskov said on Friday that Mr. Putin had personally selected the negotiators for the talks. The delegation is led by Mr. Karasin and Sergey O. Beseda, advisor to the head of the Federal Security Service, or the FSB, of the country’s domestic intelligence agency.
While Mr. Karasin has participated in foreign policy -sensitive conversations, the election of Mr. Beseda was a surprise for some.
Beseda was head of the FSB department responsible for international intelligence operations. Has been Described by Russian communication points As one of the main sources of intelligence that Mr. Putin convinced in 2022 that there was a pro-RUS sentiment in Ukraine and that a quick invasion could easily dismantle the government in Kiev.
By 2023, Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine’s military intelligence, Called Mr. Kiss A « very problematic person » for Ukraine who « has done a lot of harm ».
The Ukrainian delegation
Umerov directed the Ukrainian delegation to Riyadh. Pavlo Palisa, a maximum military adviser of President Volodymyr Zelensky, was incorporated.
Both Mr. Umerov as Mr. Palisa are members of the Ukrainian delegation for peace conversations That Mr. Zelensky named this month, a group led by his Chief of Staff, Andriy Yermak. Mr. Umerov was a key negotiator for Ukraine in peace talks with Russian diplomats in the first months of the war.
Given the technical nature of energy and shipping conversations, Ukraine also sent diplomats and officials experienced as part of their delegation. UcrinformThe State News Agency said that the team included Ministers of Foreigners and Energy, along with Mr Zelensky’s maximum diplomatic advisor.
Zelensky said Ukraine would prepare a list of infrastructure objects that could be included in the fire cessation agreement. He added that a third party should oversee the cessation of fire and suggested that the United States could do it.
Although Russia and Ukraine may find common ground in energy and shipping conversations, both have set conditions for complete cessation of unreconcilable hostilities, a sign of the strong challenges in the wider peace negotiations.
Moscow position
Last week, Mr. Putin told Mr. Trump to telephone conversation That Russia would accept a temporary truce only if Ukraine stopped mobilizing the soldiers, forming troops, or importing weapons during the duration of any pause in the fight.
Putin also demanded the complete detention of military aid and intelligence in Kiev, calling it « the key condition to prevent a escalation of the conflict and move towards its resolution through political and diplomatic means », According to Kremlin’s reading of the call.
The White House said that military help and the exchange of intelligence in Ukraine would continue Despite the demands of Kremlin. But the Trump administration has been less clear in Moscow calls for territorial concessions, and sometimes it seemed to be aligned with the position of the Kremlin.
Mr. Witkoff echoed a kremlin conversation point on Sunday when he tried to legitimize the staged referendums That the Russian occupation forces remained in some parts of Ukraine to justify the annexation of those territories taken by military force. « There is a vision in the country of Russia that is Russian territories, » Witkoff told Fox News. « There are referendums within these territories that justify these actions. » These referendums were widely reported as fraudulent and illegal by the international community.
Essentially, Russia’s position in terms of conflict has been the same. Kremlin says he wants to « eliminate the root causes of the crisis, » which is essentially demanding that Ukraine Capituli.
Kyiv’s position
Ukraine had previously accepted an unconditional truce of 30 days to leave all the combat operations, at the instance of the Trump administration. But after Moscow said he would only support a partial cessation of the energy infrastructure, Mr. Zelensky Talked to Mr. Trump and agreed to the limited truce.
In recent days, Ukrainian officials have set red lines in negotiations: Kyiv will never accept Russian sovereignty over occupied Ukrainian territory; Will not accept that it is blocked to join -NATO or reduce your army size; and must have security guarantees as part of any peace agreement.
Many Ukrainian officials and analysts have expressed doubts that even a limited cessation of the fire would remain for a long time, noting that the previous calls between Moscow and Kiev routinely violated each side, with each side blaming the other.
« I do not believe in a cessation of fire. We have already happened before, » said Kostyantyn Yelisev, a veteran diplomat and former Ukrainian Foreign Minister of Foreign Affairs who participated in the fire cessation negotiations in 2014 and 2015, in an interview.
What is below?
Mr. Witkoff said Wednesday to An interview with Bloomberg News That Mr. Trump and Mr. Putin were « probable » to meet in Saudi Arabia in a few weeks. North -American officials will also continue conversations with their Russian and Ukrainian counterparts in the Middle East to discuss the details of a limited truce.
But the foundations of the diplomatic process have been elaborated, the analysts said, with Moscow and Kiev ready to continue to fight.
« The two parties still believe that the war may continue regardless of the north -American position, » said Dmitry Kuznets, a military analyst of the Russian Newsa Meduza news illegalized by Kremlin.
He added: « The views of Moscow and Kyiv about what might seem like an agreement are still infinitely far from each other. »
Maria Varenikova and Minho Kim Contributed reports.
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