What the US talks bring with Kyiv and Moscow in Riad

Ukraine war

What the US talks bring with Kyiv and Moscow in Riad

In Saudi Arabia, US mediators are negotiating with Russian and Ukrainian representatives about steps for the end of the war. What can be expected from the conversations?

Despite all previous discussions on the US side with the warring parties Russia and Ukraine about a temporary ceasefire, an end to the fighting is not yet in sight. This should change with new negotiations in Saudi Arabia when US mediators speak to representatives of Russia and Ukraine. The warring parties are separated from each other. The first talks of the Americans with the Ukrainians were already held on Sunday, and the talks of the US representatives with the Russians were pending on Monday morning. There is a lot to clarify – with unclear prospect of success. Some questions and answers to the state of affairs:

Washington expects Moscow and Kyiv that the weapons will soon be silent. Ukraine confirmed its willingness to a 30-day ceasefire in advance and primarily wants to clarify the technical details. The subject should first be a ceasefire limited to energy systems, whereby President Wolodymyr Selenskyj emphasized to conclude civilian infrastructure.

After a telephone call by Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump, Moscow emphasized that a fire break for air strikes against energy systems was already in force from the Russian side. Putin had instructed that after the conversation on Tuesday. However, the attacks on alleged military goals in Ukraine with drones and sliding bombs continue. For an end to this blows, it would need further conversations from a Russian point of view – on Moscow conditions. Kiev sees Moscow’s intention to run the war.

From a Russian perspective, Riyadh is also supposed to be an initiative for safe shipping in the Black Sea, in the room the US proposal for a fire break for the water. Russia had terminated an earlier agreement with Türkiye, which was to enable the safe transport of Ukrainian grain over the Black Sea. Ukraine wants security guarantees after the strategically important port of Odessa is repeatedly shot at by the Russians.

The special envoy sent by US President Donald Trump for Ukraine explained in advance that various teams conducted the negotiations. In addition to his team, there is one from the USA’s National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz, and one from the US State Department. Kellogg said that on the one hand there was talking to the Ukrainians in a room, in another with the Russians. A commuting between the sides is planned.

Ukraine, for example, sends Defense Minister Rustem Umjerow to the talks. President Selenskyj had appointed his head of lawn Andrij Jermak as chief negotiator. Neither Ukrainians nor Russians will send representatives of their foreign ministries this time, as both side announced in advance.

According to Kremlin, Russia is represented in Riad with foreign politician Georgi Karassin, head of the Foreign Committee on the Federation Council, and the secret service Sergei Besseda. The 70 -year -old Besseda is a consultant of the domestic intelligence agency FSB, worked in Kiev in crisis times and is considered a confidante of Kremlin chief Putin. At FSB, he once headed the fifth service, which is responsible for the espionage and control of countries of the former Soviet Union – especially Ukraine – as media reported.

A short -term goal of the Americans is a fire break for the Black Sea. Trump and Putin spoke about this a few days ago in their joint phone call and agreed on negotiations. In principle, Washington is concerned with moving Putin to quickly end the war of aggression. Trump had promised a quick war end in the election campaign, but is now hardly progressing. How much influence he actually has on Putin remains uncertain. It is also questionable how exactly Trump’s presentation of the negotiations after his conversations with Putin and Selenskyj is. Afterwards there were contradictory statements of all pages about what was really discussed.

Steve Witkoff, Steve Witkoff, should currently have the closest contact in the Kremlin. He was received by Putin twice and then commented on the Kremlin chief. “I don’t want to sound like an eternal optimist, but I am very, very optimistic that we will be able to bring the two sides together,” said Witkoff with a view to the talks in Saudi Arabia.

In the long term, the United States also pursues the goal of improving relationships with Moscow – not least because of the growing concern about the close alliance between Russia and China.