US and Ukraine Wrap Up 'Efficient' Discussions in Riyadh: Ukrainian Defence Minister

Riyadh, March 24 (NationPress) Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov announced that the discussions between the US and Ukrainian delegations have wrapped up in the capital of Saudi Arabia, describing the talks as "efficient and focused", with "important topics such as energy" being addressed.

In a post shared on social media platform X, Umerov, who led the Ukrainian team, highlighted that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's objective is "to achieve a fair and enduring peace" for Ukraine and Europe as a whole, asserting, "We are striving to make that aspiration a reality."

The US and Ukrainian delegations convened earlier in the day in Riyadh, as reported by Xinhua news agency.

As per the Ukrinform news agency, the Ukrainian delegation also comprised State Secretary of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Oleksandr Karasevych, deputy heads of the President's Office, Pavlo Palisa and Ihor Zhovkva, along with Deputy Energy Minister Mykola Kolisnyk.

This meeting follows a prior gathering between the two parties in the Saudi port city of Jeddah, where Ukraine consented to a US-suggested 30-day ceasefire plan in return for Washington lifting its suspension on military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine.

Importantly, this meeting comes ahead of the scheduled discussions between US and Russian delegations on Monday.

Reports emerged late Sunday indicating that the Russian delegation has arrived in Riyadh. This team includes Grigory Karasin, chairman of the committee on international affairs in Russia's Upper House, and Sergey Beseda, adviser to the head of Russia's Federal Security Service, as noted by Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov.

Initially planned to occur concurrently to facilitate shuttle diplomacy—with the US mediating between the delegations—the technical-level discussions on a partial truce are now happening separately, one after another.

In an evening address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky remarked that "Russia is the sole party prolonging this war".

"Regardless of what we discuss with our partners, we must urge Putin to issue a genuine order to cease the attacks: the individual who instigated this war must also bring it to an end," he stated.

Dialogue between the United States and Russia is set for Monday, with Russian state media reporting that Moscow's delegation arrived in Riyadh on Sunday.

Trump envoy Steve Witkoff expressed hope that any agreement reached would pave the way for a "comprehensive" ceasefire.

"I believe we will see significant progress in Saudi Arabia on Monday, especially concerning a Black Sea ceasefire for vessels between both nations. From that point, a total ceasefire should naturally follow," he shared with Fox News.

However, the Kremlin on Sunday played down expectations of a swift resolution, indicating that discussions are just getting underway.

"We are merely at the start of this journey," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Russian state television.

Peskov highlighted that numerous unresolved issues remain regarding how a potential ceasefire could be enacted.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has dismissed a joint US-Ukrainian request for a complete and immediate 30-day halt, instead suggesting a cessation of attacks solely on energy infrastructure.

"Challenging negotiations lie ahead," Peskov added in an interview shared on social media.

Peskov noted that the primary focus of discussions with the US would revolve around possibly reinstating a 2022 agreement regarding Black Sea grain exports that ensured safe passage for Ukrainian agricultural products through the Black Sea.

"On Monday, we primarily intend to deliberate President Putin's agreement to resume the so-called Black Sea initiative, and our negotiators will be prepared to discuss the specifics surrounding this matter," Peskov stated.

Moscow withdrew from the agreement—brokered by Turkey and the United Nations—in 2023, alleging that the West failed to fulfill its promises to ease sanctions on Russia's own agricultural and fertilizer exports.

Both parties launched new drone assaults on the eve of negotiations.

Ukrainian officials reported that a Russian drone strike resulted in the deaths of three civilians in Kyiv, including a five-year-old girl and her father.

The US government disclosed that Zelensky agreed during the discussions to suspend attacks on Russian energy facilities.

Ukraine proposed that its delegation would also negotiate with its US counterparts about halting attacks on infrastructure during their meeting in Riyadh.

The US team is anticipated to engage in talks with Russian officials on Monday.

Observers are closely monitoring whether these discussions can yield any progress towards a ceasefire.