Talks between Russian and US delegations on settling the crisis in Ukraine kicked off on Monday in Riyadh, the Russian state news agency TASS reported, one day after similar negotiations took place between US and Ukrainian representatives in the Saudi capital.
The Russian delegation is led by chairman of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs Grigory Karasin and adviser to the director of the Federal Security Service Sergey Beseda, TASS reported. The US side is represented by Andrew Peek, a senior director at the White House National Security Council, and Michael Anton, a senior State Department official, a source briefed on the planning for the talks told Reuters. They met the Ukrainians on Sunday.
The technical-level talks come as US President Donald Trump intensifies efforts to end Russia’s three-year military campaign in Ukraine. Last week, Mr Trump spoke separately with both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin in a bid to push forward a resolution.
Russian Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov said earlier that Russia and the US would address reviving the Black Sea grain initiative after Mr Putin and Mr Trump reached an agreement on this in their recent phone call.
A Black Sea maritime ceasefire is crucial because the region is a vital corridor for global trade, especially for grain exports from Ukraine and Russia.
In 2022, the Black Sea Grain Initiative, brokered by the UN and Turkey, allowed Ukraine to safely export grain despite the war, but it collapsed in 2023 after Russia withdrew, quoting unmet demands on its own exports.
The White House also said the aim of the talks was to reach a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea, allowing the free flow of shipping.
White House National Security adviser Mike Waltz told CBS News on Sunday that the US, Russian and Ukrainian delegations were assembled in the same facility in Riyadh.
Ukraine's Defence Minister, Rustem Umerov, the head of the Ukrainian delegation, said on Facebook that the US-Ukraine talks included proposals to protect energy centres and critical infrastructure. He said in another Facebook post after the meeting that “the conversation was constructive and meaningful”.
“President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s goal is to secure a just and lasting peace for our country and our people – and, by extension, for all of Europe. We are working to make that goa a reality,” he added.
Last Tuesday, Mr Putin agreed to Mr Trump's proposal for Russia and Ukraine to stop attacks on each other's energy infrastructure for 30 days and ordered the Russian military to cease them.
However, the agreement fell short of the broader ceasefire that Washington and Kyiv had sought, which would have paused hostilities entirely for 30 days.
Despite the diplomatic push, hostilities persist. Both Russia and Ukraine have reported continued air strikes, and Russian troops continue their slow advance in eastern Ukraine, a region Moscow claims to have annexed.
The first round of talks between high-level US and Russian officials was held last month in Saudi Arabia. The kingdom also hosted a meeting between delegations from Kyiv and Washington earlier this month.
Results
Stage 5:
1. Jonas Vingegaard (DEN) Team Jumbo-Visma 04:19:08
2. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates 00:00:03
3. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers
4. Sergio Higuita (COL) EF Education-Nippo 00:00:05
5. Joao Almeida (POR) Deceuninck-QuickStep 00:00:06
General Classification:
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates 17:09:26
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers 00:00:45
3. Joao Almeida (POR) Deceuninck-QuickStep 00:01:12
4. Chris Harper (AUS) Team Jumbo-Visma 00:01:54
5. Neilson Powless (USA) EF Education-Nippo 00:01:56
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Dos
Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
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Don’ts
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Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
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