US and Russian representatives have begun talks in Saudi Arabia aimed at bringing to an end the Russia-Ukraine war.
The US is seeking a separate maritime ceasefire deal to cover the Black Sea, before securing a wider agreement. A maritime ceasefire would allow a return to normal shipping on the Black Sea. Military operations in the area have been significantly reduced in recent months.
In 2022, a deal was struck to allow the export of precious Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea, but Russia withdrew from the agreement in 2023, claiming that the export of its own goods, including grain and fertilizer, was being hampered.
White House National Security adviser Mike Waltz said the talks will also consider the boundaries of a ceasefire, peacekeeping and the return of Ukrainian children taken into Russia during the war.
The American delegation in Riyadh is being led by Andrew Peek, a senior director at the White House National Security Council, and Michael Anton, a senior official in the State Department.
Russia, meanwhile, is represented by Grigory Karasin, a former diplomat and now chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, and Sergei Beseda, an advisor to the Federal Security Service.
President Donald Trump has said he is satisfied with the progress of talks so far. On Saturday, he said efforts to stop further escalation in the conflict were “somewhat under control.”
Although European powers are worried Putin will be emboldened by any US-mediated deal, special envoy Steve Witkoff, who met Putin in early March, played down such concerns.
“I just don’t see that he wants to take all of Europe. This is a much different situation than it was in World War Two,” Witkoff told Fox News.
“I feel that he wants peace.”
