Negotiations continue in Riyadh to reach an agreement on the ceasefire in Ukraine. Today the Russian delegation met with the US delegation, in talks initially described by the Kremlin as "difficult". In addition, after yesterday's round, a new meeting between Ukrainian and US delegations is planned, once the "results of the meeting between the United States and Russia" are known .

According to Russian sources, the agenda included a possible agreement to ensure safe navigation for commercial ships in the Black Sea. But, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskos said, no documents are expected to be signed at the end and the joint declaration has also been postponed. Speaking from his Oval Office at the White House, US President Donald Trump confirmed that territories are also being discussed. "We are talking about demarcation lines, we are talking about energy, ownership of power plants. Some say that the United States should own the nuclear power plant (in Zaporizhzhia) because we have the skills to operate it."

In the morning, Russians and Americans met behind closed doors in a luxury hotel in the Saudi capital, after the talks that had taken place the night before between Ukrainians and Americans. On the table, a possible ceasefire in the Black Sea, to allow a return to the grain agreement that allowed Ukraine, from July 2022 to July 2023, to export its wheat, vital for world food supplies, despite the presence of the Russian fleet in the area. Russia subsequently withdrew from the agreement, accusing the West of not respecting its commitments to ease sanctions on Russian exports of agricultural products and fertilizers.

This grain deal and “all aspects of its implementation are on the agenda today,” Peskov confirmed. It is “a proposal from President Trump, and President Putin accepted it. It was with this mandate that our delegation went to Riyadh,” he added, without mentioning any possible commitments to suspending fighting.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, who led the Ukrainian delegation, described the previous evening's meeting as "productive and focused." "We discussed key issues, including energy," he said, adding that Ukraine was working toward its goal of a "just and lasting peace." In the evening, Trump said that an agreement on the exploitation of rare earths could be signed between Kiev and Washington soon.

The Ukrainian delegation is led by the defense minister, while the Russian delegation is made up of senator and former career diplomat Grigory Karasin and Sergei Beseda, a high-ranking member of the FSB, the security service. According to a source familiar with the talks, the US delegation is led by Andrew Peek, a senior official at the National Security Council, and Michael Anton, a senior official at the State Department. Washington and Kiev are now pushing for at least a temporary halt to strikes against energy facilities, which have been severely damaged on the Ukrainian side.

Ukraine says it is “ready” for a “general” and unconditional ceasefire . But Putin, whose army is advancing on the ground despite heavy losses, appears to be buying time until his soldiers expel Ukrainian troops from Russia’s border region of Kursk. At this stage, the Kremlin says it has only agreed with Washington on a moratorium on the bombing of energy infrastructure. “This is a very complex issue and there is a lot to do,” Peskov has already said, adding that negotiations will be “difficult.” “We are just at the beginning,” he said. Donald Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, remained optimistic, however, saying he expected “real progress,” “particularly on a ceasefire in the Black Sea on ships between the two countries.” “And from there, we will naturally move towards a full ceasefire,” he said.

(Online Union)

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