In a recent development, the Kremlin has opted for discretion regarding the intensive negotiations held between Russian and US officials in Saudi Arabia, creating uncertainty about possible advancements toward even a partial ceasefire in the ongoing Ukraine conflict. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov informed reporters that the findings from these “technical” discussions are under review by both Moscow and Washington, and emphasized that the negotiations’ content would remain confidential, stating, “This should not be expected.”
This decision follows reports from the Russian state-run Tass news agency, which mentioned attempts by both parties to release a joint statement associated with the negotiations. However, this claim came from an unidentified source within the Russian delegation. On the sidelines of these talks, US and Ukrainian officials engaged in two rounds of discussions in Riyadh, which Ukraine’s defense minister, Rustem Umerov, described as “productive and focused.”
Grigory Karasin, a former deputy foreign minister who co-led the Russian negotiation team, termed the Russia-US dialogue as challenging yet constructive. According to Tass, Karasin hinted at the involvement of the United Nations and other nations in ongoing talks, stressing the dialogues’ expansive nature. The US had framed these discussions as a pivotal phase in former President Donald Trump’s initiative to end Russia’s extended occupation of Ukraine, highlighting efforts to secure a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea to ensure the safe passage of shipping vessels.
Russia, on its part, appears open to a Black Sea agreement, provided terms are agreeable to all parties involved. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has suggested that any new accord will necessitate specific guarantees for resumption, as previously mediated Turkey-UN efforts for a grain-export deal from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports collapsed when Russia withdrew.
These ongoing dialogues in Saudi Arabia came on the heels of Trump’s separate calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, which resulted in a temporary agreement for a 30-day truce concerning energy infrastructure. However, details on the enforcement and supervision of this truce are still pending.
Meanwhile, White House National Security Advisor Mike Waltz indicated that these negotiations might segue into discussions about the so-called “line of control,” referring to the current front lines established since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Waltz explained that such talks would cover details regarding verification mechanisms, peacekeeping operations, and potentially freezing the present conflict lines. “And then, of course, the broader and permanent peace” involving security assurances for Ukraine is on the table, he noted.
Ukraine’s support for a comprehensive ceasefire extending beyond the energy truce was reiterated by the nation’s envoy to the US. Ambassador Oksana Markarova, in a Bloomberg Television interview, stated, “We embrace it wholeheartedly,” emphasizing that mutual concurrence is necessary, suggesting that “it takes two to dance.”
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Original Source: https://www.livemint.com/news/us-news/kremlin-says-it-won-t-give-details-of-talks-with-us-over-ukraine-11742920605681.html
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Publish Date: 2025-03-25 22:06:00
