We shouldn't expect miracles — agreements reached in Saudi Arabia won’t work, says military expert

He shared his opinions with Espreso TV.

"I believe the agreements made in Saudi Arabia won’t work. And they won’t work for a simple reason — there is no effective mechanism to monitor compliance by both sides in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. There are no real enforcement tools within the framework of these international agreements. So, most likely, this entire process will remain just talk, without leading to any real steps toward de-escalation in the Black Sea region," he said.

Seleznyov pointed out that during Russia’s war against Ukraine, 25 temporary ceasefire agreements have been signed, and none of them held because Russia repeatedly violated them. He expects this time to be no different.

"For the twelfth year in a row, since February 2014, Russia has been waging unprovoked hybrid aggression against us. Let me remind everyone — between 2014 and 2022, Kyiv and Moscow signed 25 ceasefire agreements. Did any of them hold for more than a day? Not once. I don’t think we should hope for a miracle this time either. The only argument Vladimir Putin understands is force. So if the Ukrainian army has enough resources to neutralize the enemy on its own, we’ll have a real chance for success and a secure future. The other option, excuse me, is nonsense. We can place all our hopes in negotiations, but without military strength to back them up, it will all turn into a bad joke," the military expert said.

• On Tuesday, March 25, a new round of talks between Ukrainian and American delegations took place in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. Kyiv, Washington, and Moscow agreed to ensure safe shipping in the Black Sea.
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that a ceasefire on energy infrastructure could be introduced as early as March 25, and that this had been agreed upon with the United States.
• He also warned that there would be only a short window of opportunity between the start of the ceasefire and any potential agreement to end the war, as the Kremlin consistently violates agreements.
• On March 26, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces denied Russian claims that Kyiv had violated the terms of the ceasefire regarding energy facilities.
• Advisor to the head of the President's Office, Mykhailo Podolyak, confirmed that a ceasefire on energy infrastructure was officially agreed upon in Riyadh on March 23-24, and that a partial 30-day truce had come into effect.
• On March 26, reports emerged that U.S. President Donald Trump believes Russia wants to "end" the war in Ukraine and negotiate a peace deal, but is likely "buying time."
• On the same day, it was noted that Russia's conditions for a ceasefire in the Black Sea include the lifting of European sanctions.