Saudi talks: Ukraine to discuss Black Sea, energy without direct contact with Russia

The Washington Post reported the information.

Yuri Ushakov, the chief foreign policy aide to Vladimir Putin, stated that the talks will focus on proposals for a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea. Participants will work in separate rooms and communicate solely through intermediaries.

“They are going to be proximity discussions … sort of like shuttle diplomacy in a hotel,” said Keith Kellogg, Donald Trump’s special representative for Ukraine and Russia.

According to the outlet, Ukraine supports a comprehensive ceasefire without preconditions, while Putin has only agreed to a narrower proposal calling for both sides to cease attacks on energy infrastructure.

“This is a time in a ceasefire where things are the most sensitive and prone to derailment,” said Samuel Charap, a Russia analyst with the Rand think tank. “We should expect zigzags,” he added, a “one step forward, two steps back kind of situation.”

Andriy Stavnitser, co-owner and CEO of Ukraine’s biggest port, TIS, said he remained “skeptical” about agreements with Russia.

“What we saw last time was sabotage, deliberate attempts to push Ukraine out of global markets, and intentional delays,” he said of talks held in Istanbul earlier in the war. “To ensure compliance, international observers — ideally Americans — must be present on the ground.”

Among the topics for discussion will also be the grain supply in the Black Sea. According to the agreement signed in the summer of 2022, Ukraine was allowed to export grain from ports blocked by Russia. However, from the very beginning, the agreement faced disruptions: Russia accused Ukraine of using the safe corridor for drone attacks, and a year later, its implementation was suspended.

The Russian delegation in Riyadh will be led by Grigory Karasin, a senator overseeing foreign affairs, and Sergey Beseda, a high-ranking adviser to the director of the Federal Security Service.

Ukraine will be represented by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and Deputy Head of the President's Office Pavlo Palisa. Along with them, experts on energy and port infrastructure will be present.

Among the American mediators will be Michael Anton, the policy planning director under Secretary of State Marco Rubio, along with aides to Kellogg and representatives from the office of national security adviser Michael Waltz.

• Yuri Ushakov, aide to Russian leader Vladimir Putin, announced that U.S. and Russian delegations will meet for negotiations in Riyadh on Monday, March 24.
• President Zelenskyy announced that Ukrainian and U.S. technical teams will meet in Saudi Arabia on Monday, March 24.
• At the same time, special representative Keith Kellogg stated that the U.S. plans to hold separate meetings with Ukrainian and Russian representatives in Saudi Arabia, aiming to organize indirect talks.
• On March 21, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Heorhiy Tykhyi stated that the Ukrainian delegation would meet with the American one in Saudi Arabia, rejecting the possibility of talks with the Russians.