OSLO, Norway: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday that Ukraine’s and US officials would meet in Saudi Arabia on Monday to make progress on a proposed halt in Russian and Ukrainian strikes on energy facilities.
Zelensky’s announcement came shortly after the Kremlin confirmed that Russian officials would also hold talks with the United States in Saudi Arabia on Monday.
The latest round of talks in Saudi Arabia builds on efforts led by US President Donald Trump to secure a speedy end to the Ukraine war, now grinding through its fourth year.
“Our technical teams will be there,” Zelensky said during a press conference in Norway, referring to meetings between Ukrainian and American representatives.
Zelensky said that there would be separate meetings between Russian and American officials at the same time, with the aim of agreeing on the terms of a ceasefire involving a halt to strikes on energy infrastructure.
President Vladimir Putin’s aide Yuri Ushakov said earlier that Moscow would be represented by Grigory Karasin, chairman of the Senate’s committee on international affairs, and Sergei Beseda, an advisor to the head of the FSB security service.
Ushakov said he had confirmed this after talks with US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz. Both agreed to send “expert groups” for the talks, he added.
The delegations are due to discuss “initiatives” that Putin and Trump spoke about regarding the Black Sea.
US-Russia talks in Riyadh
The talks in Riyadh will focus on ensuring safe navigation in the Black Sea and exploring potential pathways towards a ceasefire, Putin’s aide Yuri Ushakov said in comments published by the Kremlin.
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“From the Russian side, they will be attended by Grigory Karasin, chairman of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs, and Sergei Beseda, adviser to the head of the FSB security service,” Ushakov said.
According to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, the upcoming negotiations in Riyadh mark the continuation of expert-level discussions, with further meetings anticipated.
“We expect that negotiations will continue at the expert level and will continue in the coming days,” Peskov said on Thursday.
US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz also confirmed his conversation with Ushakov, stating that both sides had agreed to send “expert groups” to Riyadh.
Waltz posted on X (formerly Twitter) that their discussions focused on “implementing and expanding the partial ceasefire President Trump secured from Russia.”
US envoy Steve Witkoff, in an interview with Bloomberg Television, expressed optimism that a ceasefire agreement could be reached within weeks.
