The third round of negotiations between the United States and Russia, and the US and Ukraine in Riyadh on Monday tackled technical issues, including a partial ceasefire, the protection of vital energy and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, and the fate of kidnapped Ukrainian children who have been taken to Russia.
The officials met behind closed doors at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in the Saudi capital. Discussions also tackled the possibility of reviving the 2022 Black Sea agreement.
"We are currently waiting for the results of the US-Russia meeting," a member of the Ukrainian delegation told several media outlets on condition of anonymity on Monday. He predicted that another meeting may be held with the US.
Asharq Al-Awsat learned that the meetings, which are being held on the level of technical committees, may last until the end of the week.
A source briefed on planning for the Saudi talks said the US side was led by Andrew Peek, a senior director at the White House National Security Council, and Michael Anton, a senior State Department official. Ukraine was represented by Defense Minister Rustem Umarov.
Russia was represented by Grigory Karasin, a former diplomat who is now chair of the Russian upper house's Foreign Affairs Committee.
Karasin was cited by Interfax news agency as saying during a break in the talks on Monday that they were progressing "creatively" and that the two sides had discussed issues regarded as "irritants" in bilateral ties.
Umarov described the talks as "fruitful and focused" and focused on the energy sector.
Ukraine is seeking to achieve its optimal goal that is just and sustainable peace, he stressed in comments circulated on social media.
A White House source said progress was being made in the Riyadh talks and that a "positive announcement" was expected "in the near future."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address on Monday that his officials in Riyadh will meet with the US team following the Russia-US talks.
On Monday, US President Donald Trump listed issues he said were on the table: "We're talking about territory right now. We're talking about lines of demarcation, talking about power, power plant ownership."
Need for guarantees
Alexander Ionov, member of the Russian president’s Human Rights Council, told Asharq Al-Awsat that a ceasefire was the main focus of the talks in Riyadh, but it cannot be discussed as a separate issue because it is part of a broader plan.
"Saudi Arabia is a strategic partner and dear friend of Russia," he stressed, citing the Kingdom’s contributions to global operations, notably the current negotiations.
Saudi Arabia is a focal point of global politics where the lives of millions of people are decided, he went on to say.
Moreover, he declared that the Ukrainian army must not be allowed to re-arm.
They may exploit the truce for their own strategic goals, he warned.
Russia needs a "radical approach" that aims to end the real conflict, that secures it guarantees, prevents the deployment of NATO peacekeepers and bars Ukraine from joining the alliance, he stated.
He also called for stripping the Ukrainian military of certain weapons and eliminating its ability to use ballistic missiles.
The peace agreement must take into account Russia’s condition given that it is the victor in the conflict, he stressed, adding that Ukraine can no longer change the outcome of the battle.
For Russia, protecting its people and disarming Ukraine remain the most important goals.
Energy sector
Dr. Saeed Salam, Director of Vision Center for Strategic Studies in Kyiv, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the talks between the US and Ukraine in Riyadh are focusing on the possibility of reaching a partial ceasefire that guarantees that both sides avoid targeting energy and civilian infrastructure.
There are reports that the American delegation wants to discuss the possibility of controlling Ukraine's energy sector, he revealed.
Ultimately, the final say remains with Russia, which has intensified its attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure in recent days in an effort to pressure it economically and weaken its resistance and effectively attempt to impose a new status quo on the ground, he added.
