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No Ukraine deal after US-Russia Saudi talks

Russia demands new Black Sea deal more beneficial for Russian exports

2 MIN READ

A Ukrainian serviceman passes by destroyed buildings in the Ukrainian town of Siversk.

AFP file

RIYADH: No deal emerged from Washington’s talks with both Kyiv and Moscow in Saudi Arabia Tuesday on any ceasefire after three years of fighting, with Russia demanding that the US “order” Kyiv to enter a new deal on the Black Sea.

US President Donald Trump is pushing for a rapid end to Russia’s invasion and had hoped the latest round of talks in Saudi Arabia would pave the way for a truce.

Also Read: Trump, Putin agree to halt attacks on energy targets in Ukraine

Kyiv held a brief second round of talks with US officials Tuesday, a day after hours of US-Russia negotiations ended without breakthroughs announced.

Ukraine earlier this month agreed to a US-proposed unconditional ceasefire, but Russia turned it down, with Kyiv accusing it of wanting to gain more battlefield advantage first.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov gave no sign that Moscow was closer to agreeing to a wider ceasefire, instead calling for a new Black Sea deal more beneficial for Russian exports.

“We are, as the president said, for restarting in some kind of form, in a more acceptable way for everyone, the Black Sea Initiative,” Lavrov said. He added that Russia does not want “anybody to try to push us out” of the grain and fertiliser market.

The previous Black Sea agreement allowed millions of tonnes of grain and other food exports to be shipped safely from Ukraine’s ports, but Russia had complained that it was not beneficial for its trade.

Lavrov called on the US to “order (Ukrainian leader Volodymyr) Zelensky and his team” to enter such a deal.

He accused Western countries of trying to “contain” Russia like “Napoleon and Hitler.”

Attacks ongoing

Ukraine has not yet commented on the outcome of its talks.

A source in the Ukrainian delegation told a small group of media including AFP earlier Tuesday that a second round of negotiations had ended shortly after they had begun.

Lavrov’s statements came after 12 hours of talks Monday between the Russian and American delegation.

The Kremlin said earlier that Russia was still “analysing” the results of its negotiations, that the “content” of the discussions would not be made public and that there was no “specific” date for another meeting.

The Trump administration has made statements sympathetic towards Russia, with Kyiv and European allies worried it will yield to the Kremlin’s demands.

The Saudi talks came as both Russia and Ukraine escalate their attacks on the ground, with Kyiv saying its air defence units had downed 78 out of 139 drones launched by Russia Tuesday.

In Ukraine’s northeastern city of Sumy, officials said the toll from a Russian strike a day earlier climbed to 101 wounded, including 23 children.

The strike hit a residential area in the city near the Russian border as negotiations were taking place in Riyadh.

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