The Russian delegation has arrived in the capital Riyadh of Saudi Arabia to consult with a group of US experts and the meeting is scheduled to start on the morning of March 24 local time, according to Mr. Grigory Karasin, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Russian Federation Council.
Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov also confirmed that Russian and US experts will hold a consultation in Riyadh on March 24. The Russian delegation was led by Mr. Karasin and Sergey Beseda, advisers to the Director of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB).
On March 23, US special missionary Steve Witkoff expressed optimism about the prospect of working with President Putin to end the bloodiest conflict in Europe since World War II. I felt he wanted peace, Witkoff told Fox News.
This week's negotiations are expected to focus on how to implement a 30-day ceasefire on energy infrastructure and possibly expand to the maritime transport sector in the Black Sea.
I think on March 24 in Saudi Arabia, we will see some real progress, especially regarding the establishment of a ceasefire in the Black Sea for ships of both countries, Witkoff said. And from there, we can move towards a comprehensive ceasefire.
However, the Kremlin warned that there are still many difficulties ahead. We are only at the early stages of this process, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian state television on March 23.
Mr. Peskov also said that the top priority in negotiations with the US will be the possibility of restoring the Black Sea grain agreement in 2022, which is mediated by Turkey and the United Nations to ensure the safety of Ukraine's agricultural exports.
Russia withdrew from the deal in 2023 citing the West's failure to fulfill its commitment to lift sanctions on Russian agricultural and fertilizer exports.
Meanwhile, according to Bloomberg, the White House set a target for Russia and Ukraine to reach a complete ceasefire before Passover (20. 4), but acknowledged that the deadline could be delayed due to significant differences between the two sides.
After a phone call on March 18 between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Moscow agreed to suspend attacks on Kiev's energy infrastructure for 30 days, but Ukraine must stop receiving military aid from the West as well as stop general mobilization orders to avoid taking advantage of this time to strengthen its strength.
Despite agreeing to a partial ceasefire brokered by the US, Ukraine launched strikes on an oil depot in southern Russia the following day and destroyed a gas station in Kursk province on March 21.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the violations showed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was untrustworthy. He stressed: "The words of the Kiev government and Mr. Zelensky are of no value."
He also denied Ukraine's accusations that Russia had destroyed the gas station in Sudzha, calling it an "unreasonable" statement.
Meanwhile, President Putin stressed that Russia needs a specific plan on how to implement and supervise the ceasefire before agreeing to sign.
