This week, a Ukrainian delegation will meet with US representatives in Saudi Arabia. The exact date is not yet known, but the president said it will take place sometime between March 21 and 23, "as convenient for the groups".
This was reported by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during an online conversation with journalists on the evening of March 19.
At the upcoming meeting, the parties are to continue discussing a temporary ceasefire. The President stressed that he has received signals from the US that they are now talking about an "energy silence". Also on the agenda is a cessation of shelling of civilian infrastructure in both countries.
Volodymyr Zelensky stressed that this concept is quite understandable, so Ukraine will prepare a list of infrastructure that it considers priority and civil. Zelensky stressed that it will be about, in particular, railway and port infrastructure. It is currently unknown what the partners will confirm.
What preceded
On March 11, negotiations between delegations from Ukraine and the United States took place in Saudi Arabia. As a result, Ukraine agreed to an immediate temporary ceasefire — in exchange, Washington decided to resume aid and intelligence sharing. Volodymyr Zelensky said that a 30-day ceasefire would apply to the entire front line if Russia agreed to it.
On March 18, Trump spoke with Putin. They discussed, in particular, the 30-day ceasefire proposed by the United States. Putin demanded that Ukraine stop the mobilization and rearmament of the Armed Forces of Ukraine for this period.
After the conversation, the parties reported that Putin allegedly supported the idea of a mutual renunciation of attacks on energy infrastructure by the Russian Federation and Ukraine for 30 days.
The next day, March 19, Trump spoke with Zelensky. The US president shared with the Ukrainian leader the details of his conversation with Putin.
Zelensky is ready to support an end to attacks on energy and other civilian infrastructure. He also announced a new meeting of the Ukrainian delegation with the American one in Saudi Arabia in the coming days.
- It was the leadersʼ first conversation since their meeting at the White House on February 18, when the presidents spoke in elevated tones. Then, during a press conference, Trump and Zelensky argued: it all started with the Ukrainian presidentʼs words about the need to provide Ukraine with security guarantees and actively include Kyiv in the negotiation process.
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