U.S. and Russia Conclude Discussions on Suggested Black Sea Ceasefire
U.S. and Russian officials concluded 12 hours of discussions in Riyadh on Monday, concentrating on a limited proposal for a ceasefire in the Black Sea involving Kyiv and Moscow. This followed nearly five hours of talks on Sunday between U.S. and Ukrainian representatives in the Saudi Arabian city, aimed at energy infrastructure.
TroibNews 
Russian and U.S. officials concluded 12 hours of discussions in Riyadh on Monday, concentrating on a limited proposal for a ceasefire in the Black Sea between Kyiv and Moscow. This followed nearly five hours of talks in the Saudi Arabian city on Sunday that focused on energy infrastructure involving Ukraine and the U.S.
A joint statement regarding the Russia-U.S. discussions is expected to be released on Tuesday, as reported by RIA Novosti, citing an insider familiar with the discussions.
A source from the White House indicated that progress was being made during the Riyadh meetings, and that a "positive announcement" was anticipated "in the near future." Additionally, Russia's RIA news agency reported that when the Russian delegation was asked about their sentiments after the talks, they responded: "It's good."
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov previously stated that no documents would be signed, according to TASS.
On the same day, U.S. President Donald Trump highlighted other issues under discussion, mentioning: "We're talking about territory right now. We're talking about lines of demarcation, talking about power, power plant ownership."
According to the White House, the primary goal of the Saudi discussions is to establish a maritime truce in the Black Sea to facilitate the free flow of shipping.
The talks in Saudi Arabia followed phone conversations the previous week between Trump and the two presidents involved, Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine and Vladimir Putin of Russia, who had previously rejected Trump's proposal for a full 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine. They have only agreed to a moratorium on attacks against energy infrastructure thus far.
It has been reported that Ukraine and the U.S. are scheduled for another round of discussions focused on a moratorium regarding long-range assaults on energy facilities and civilian infrastructure, as well as a ceasefire in the Black Sea.
The ceasefire in the Black Sea and energy infrastructure were key points of focus during the Riyadh talks.
Zhang Hong, a researcher from the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, mentioned to CMG that discussions surrounding Black Sea shipping could help restore trust between Russia and Ukraine.
Highlighting that Ukraine depends on maritime transport for approximately 80 percent of its foreign trade, while Russia is reliant on Black Sea ports for about half of its gas, 10 percent of its oil, and 60 percent of its food exports, Zhang emphasized that maintaining secure shipping in the Black Sea is crucial for both nations, intertwining their economic and strategic interests.
Addressing these issues could help to mend the fragile trust between the two parties and facilitate negotiations, Zhang noted, while also indicating that it underscored the significant disparities regarding more critical strategic matters.
Regarding a cessation of strikes on energy infrastructure, Zhang indicated that the reciprocal attacks between the two sides have placed immense pressure on both.
Zhang described the discussions concerning energy infrastructure between Ukraine and the U.S. as essentially a continuation of an earlier U.S.-Russian proposal for a "temporary ceasefire" to work out technical details, such as how to guarantee that energy facilities on both sides are not targeted within 30 days.
Lucas Dupont for TROIB News
A joint statement regarding the Russia-U.S. discussions is expected to be released on Tuesday, as reported by RIA Novosti, citing an insider familiar with the discussions.
A source from the White House indicated that progress was being made during the Riyadh meetings, and that a "positive announcement" was anticipated "in the near future." Additionally, Russia's RIA news agency reported that when the Russian delegation was asked about their sentiments after the talks, they responded: "It's good."
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov previously stated that no documents would be signed, according to TASS.
On the same day, U.S. President Donald Trump highlighted other issues under discussion, mentioning: "We're talking about territory right now. We're talking about lines of demarcation, talking about power, power plant ownership."
According to the White House, the primary goal of the Saudi discussions is to establish a maritime truce in the Black Sea to facilitate the free flow of shipping.
The talks in Saudi Arabia followed phone conversations the previous week between Trump and the two presidents involved, Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine and Vladimir Putin of Russia, who had previously rejected Trump's proposal for a full 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine. They have only agreed to a moratorium on attacks against energy infrastructure thus far.
It has been reported that Ukraine and the U.S. are scheduled for another round of discussions focused on a moratorium regarding long-range assaults on energy facilities and civilian infrastructure, as well as a ceasefire in the Black Sea.
The ceasefire in the Black Sea and energy infrastructure were key points of focus during the Riyadh talks.
Zhang Hong, a researcher from the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, mentioned to CMG that discussions surrounding Black Sea shipping could help restore trust between Russia and Ukraine.
Highlighting that Ukraine depends on maritime transport for approximately 80 percent of its foreign trade, while Russia is reliant on Black Sea ports for about half of its gas, 10 percent of its oil, and 60 percent of its food exports, Zhang emphasized that maintaining secure shipping in the Black Sea is crucial for both nations, intertwining their economic and strategic interests.
Addressing these issues could help to mend the fragile trust between the two parties and facilitate negotiations, Zhang noted, while also indicating that it underscored the significant disparities regarding more critical strategic matters.
Regarding a cessation of strikes on energy infrastructure, Zhang indicated that the reciprocal attacks between the two sides have placed immense pressure on both.
Zhang described the discussions concerning energy infrastructure between Ukraine and the U.S. as essentially a continuation of an earlier U.S.-Russian proposal for a "temporary ceasefire" to work out technical details, such as how to guarantee that energy facilities on both sides are not targeted within 30 days.
Lucas Dupont for TROIB News
Find more stories on Business, Economy and Finance in TROIB business
