MOSCOW: US and Ukrainian officers had been resulting from meet in Saudi Arabia on Sunday (Mar 23) for talks on methods to halt the Russian invasion, a member of the Ukrainian delegation informed AFP, whereas the Kremlin warned of “troublesome negotiations” and an extended journey to peace.
US President Donald Trump is pushing for a speedy finish to the three-year conflict and his envoy mentioned on Sunday he anticipated “actual progress” from the talks in Riyadh, which is able to see US officials hold separate discussions with delegations from Ukraine and Russia.
Regardless of either side proposing totally different plans for momentary ceasefires, assaults have continued unabated. A Russian strike on the Ukrainian capital killed three civilians in a single day.
Initially scheduled to happen concurrently in Saudi Arabia on Monday, the talks on a partial truce now look set to happen one after the opposite.
“The assembly with the People is deliberate to happen tonight” in Riyadh, a Ukrainian supply informed reporters, together with AFP.
Russia’s negotiators mentioned beforehand they’d maintain talks with the US facet on Monday.
Trump envoy Steve Witkoff voiced optimism that any settlement struck would pave the way in which to a “full-on” ceasefire.
“I feel you are going to see in Saudi Arabia on Monday some actual progress, notably because it impacts a Black Sea ceasefire on ships between each international locations. And from that you’re going to naturally gravitate to a full-on taking pictures ceasefire,” he informed Fox Information.
However the Kremlin on Sunday downplayed expectations of a speedy decision, saying talks had been simply starting.
“We’re solely firstly of this path,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov informed Russian state TV.
He mentioned there have been many excellent “questions” and “nuances” over how a possible ceasefire is likely to be applied.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has rejected a joint US-Ukrainian name for a full and rapid 30-day pause, proposing as an alternative a halt in assaults solely on power services.
“There are troublesome negotiations forward,” Peskov mentioned within the interview, printed on social media.
