Peace negotiations
Riad: Start US talks with Ukrainians and Russians
23.03.2025 – 6:13 p.m.Reading time: 2 min.
In Saudi Arabia, separate US talks with Russia and Ukraine begin to a limited ceasefire. Initial measures concern the protection of critical infrastructure.
In Saudi Arabia, US mediators want to negotiate with representatives Moscow and Kiev about limited ceasefire in the Ukraine War. The US special envoy Keith Kellog spoke of a kind of pendulary diplomacy with which the US delegation wanted to achieve an approximation between the two parties to the war.
On Sunday, representatives of Ukraine already met with the US delegation for a first round of talks, as the Ukrainian Minister of Defense Rustem Umjerow reported on X. First of all, suggestions for the protection of energy systems and critical infrastructure are on the agenda. Negotiations by the US delegation with Russia have been announced for Monday. According to a report by the “New York Times”, there could also be further discussions with Ukraine depending on the course.
US President Donald Trump claims to end the war as soon as possible. The chances of this would be good, he said in the run -up to the meeting. The United States will be represented in Saudi Arabia with several teams, which, in addition to Kellogg, should also include US security consultants Mike Waltz.
For Ukraine, Andrij Jermak was supposed to travel to Saudi Arabia as chief negotiator. Russia will be represented in Riyadh by foreign politician Georgi Karassin from the Federation Council and Secret Sergej Besseda, a confidante of Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin.
The negotiations will take possible steps to take a ceasefire. The first measure is planned to do without attacks against energy systems, whereby Ukraine also wants to protect other infrastructure objects. This limited fire break had basically been removed from Putin and Trump on a phone call, but without details about implementation. Another topic is likely to be the safety of seafaring in the Black Sea.
