US, Russia begin Saudi ceasefire talks
Shafaq News/ US and Russian delegations have begun ceasefire talks in Saudi Arabia, Russian state news agency Tass reported on Monday, as Washington pushes for a maritime truce in the Black Sea while broader negotiations continue.
The talks, led by senior US officials Andrew Peek and Michael Anton, follow discussions between US and Ukrainian officials on Sunday. Russia is represented by Grigory Karasin, chair of the Federation Council’s Foreign Affairs Committee, and Sergei Beseda, an adviser to the Federal Security Service director.
Washington is seeking a deal that would allow free movement of shipping in the Black Sea, a key objective for Moscow, before progressing toward a wider ceasefire agreement, a source briefed on the talks told Reuters.
The discussions come as US President Donald Trump steps up efforts to broker an end to the three-year conflict. Last week, he spoke separately with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Any agreement in Riyadh follows Putin’s recent approval of Trump’s proposal for a 30-day halt on strikes against energy infrastructure. However, the ceasefire remains uncertain, with continued attacks reported by both sides.
Zelenskyy, in a televised statement on Sunday, called for concrete action from Moscow. “We need Putin to give a real order to stop the strikes,” he said.
The Kremlin, meanwhile, downplayed expectations of a breakthrough. "We are only at the beginning of this path," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian state TV, adding that many details remained unresolved.
