Ukraine began a meeting with the US delegation in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia).
This was reported by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.
On the agenda are proposals for the protection of energy facilities and critical infrastructure.
"Today we are working on a number of complex technical issues — our delegation includes energy experts, as well as military representatives from the naval and air components," he noted.
An unnamed Ukrainian official, in a comment to The New York Times, noted that Ukraine and the United States may hold additional talks on March 24 — it depends on the results of todayʼs meeting.
The NYT also notes that among the issues of the negotiations may be the safety of shipping in the Black Sea.
Negotiations between Russian and US delegations are also scheduled for March 24. The US Presidentʼs Special Representative for Ukraine Keith Kellogg previously said that the US would organize indirect negotiations between Ukraine and the Russian Federation in Saudi Arabia.
“This week we are sending so-called technical teams to so-called indirect talks in Saudi Arabia, where both sides come but are in different rooms. Basically you say, ʼOkay, what are your terms?’ then you go to the other side, ʼWhat are your terms?’ It’s essentially shuttle diplomacy between rooms in Riyadh,” Kellogg noted.
What preceded
Preliminary talks between the Ukrainian and US delegations were held on March 11 in Jeddah. 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 refusal of the Russian Federation and Ukraine from attacks on energy infrastructure for 30 days.
Trump spoke with Zelensky on March 19. The US president shared with the Ukrainian leader the details of his conversation with Putin. Zelensky said he was ready to support the cessation of strikes 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.
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