US-Ukraine-Saudi Arabia Talks Begin... Black Sea Grain Transport Also Expected to Be Discussed

Ceasefire Talks Focus on Halting Attacks on Energy and Infrastructure,
Black Sea Maritime Truce on the Agenda
No Bilateral Meeting Between Russia and Ukraine
Both Sides Continue Drone Strikes and Air Raids

Senior delegations from the United States and Ukraine began talks on the 23rd (local time) in Saudi Arabia regarding a 30-day 'partial ceasefire plan' between Russia and Ukraine, which includes the protection of energy and critical infrastructure. Accordingly, the talks are expected to focus on issues such as the suspension of attacks on energy and infrastructure and the implementation of the ceasefire in the Black Sea maritime area. However, attention is focused on whether the ceasefire plan can be finalized, as both Russia and Ukraine have not stopped attacks against each other even ahead of the peace talks.

AFP Yonhap News

According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and Financial Times (FT), the U.S. and Ukrainian negotiation delegations met in Saudi Arabia on the day to conduct a second round of talks aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war.

Rustem Umerov, Ukraine’s Minister of Defense and head of the Ukrainian delegation, stated on Facebook that day, "We have started talks with the U.S. team in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia," adding, "The agenda includes a ceasefire plan for the protection of energy and critical infrastructure." He further noted, "Efforts are underway to resolve various complex technical issues," and "Our delegation also includes energy experts and military personnel responsible for maritime and aviation sectors."

However, it is unlikely that Ukraine and Russia will meet face-to-face to discuss the ceasefire plan during this round of talks. Paulo Palisa, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Ukrainian Presidential Office, confirmed after the meeting, "We will not meet with the Russian delegation tomorrow," reiterating that no bilateral meeting is planned.

U.S. President Donald Trump agreed on a 'partial ceasefire plan' for the Russia-Ukraine war after a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the 18th. The plan centers on suspending attacks on energy infrastructure for 30 days. On the 19th, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also expressed his agreement with the ceasefire plan during a call with President Trump. Following this, a working-level meeting between senior U.S. and Russian delegations is scheduled to take place in Riyadh on the 24th. The U.S. and Ukraine appear to have started their senior delegation working-level talks a day earlier.

Andrey Karasin, Chairman of the Russian Federation Council’s Committee on International Affairs, confirmed to RIA Novosti that the Russian delegation also arrived in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, stating, "Negotiations (with the U.S. side) will begin tomorrow morning." The media added that the Russian delegation, led by Karasin and Sergey Beseda, Advisor to the Director of the Federal Security Service (FSB), is expected to focus on the issue of grain transportation in the Black Sea during the talks.

Steve Witkoff, the U.S. Special Envoy for the Middle East involved in the Trump administration’s negotiations to end the Ukraine war, expressed optimism in a Fox News interview ahead of the working-level talks, saying, "We will see substantial progress." Witkoff stated that the 30-day partial ceasefire plan "affects the ceasefire for ships in the Black Sea between the two countries," and "this will naturally lead to a full ceasefire." However, Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson for the Russian Kremlin, took a cautious stance in a state TV interview that day, saying, "We are only at the starting point," and "difficult talks lie ahead."

The WSJ commented on Witkoff’s interview, stating, "On the eve of the talks in Saudi Arabia, Steve Witkoff, President Trump’s chief negotiator, reiterated some of the Kremlin’s main claims about the Ukraine war while advocating for a future U.S.-Russia relationship based on shared business interests."

While ceasefire negotiations have resumed, fighting continues on the front lines. From the night of the 18th to the early hours of the next day, Russia launched a large-scale drone attack targeting hospitals and other facilities in the Sumy region of Ukraine, adjacent to Russia’s Kursk region. On the evening of the 20th, airstrikes were carried out on Odesa in southern Ukraine. On the 20th, Ukrainian forces attacked the Engels Air Base in Saratov region, where Russian Tu-160 strategic bombers are stationed, using drones.

On the 21st, a fire broke out at a gas metering station in Suzhа, Kursk region, due to shelling. Russia claimed it was the act of Ukrainian forces retreating from Kursk, while Ukraine denied this, calling it a "Russian false flag operation."