MOSCOW: US and Ukrainian officers have been as a result of 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 a protracted journey to peace.
US President Donald Trump is pushing for a fast finish to the three-year warfare 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 short-term 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 Individuals is deliberate to happen tonight” in Riyadh, a Ukrainian supply informed reporters, together with AFP.
Russia’s negotiators mentioned beforehand they might maintain talks with the US facet on Monday.
Trump envoy Steve Witkoff voiced optimism that any settlement struck would pave the best way to a “full-on” ceasefire.
“I believe you are going to see in Saudi Arabia on Monday some actual progress, significantly because it impacts a Black Sea ceasefire on ships between each nations. And from that you will naturally gravitate to a full-on capturing ceasefire,” he informed Fox Information.
However the Kremlin on Sunday downplayed expectations of a fast decision, saying talks have been simply starting.
“We’re solely at the start 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 may be carried out.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has rejected a joint US-Ukrainian name for a full and quick 30-day pause, proposing as a substitute a halt in assaults solely on power services.
“There are troublesome negotiations forward,” Peskov mentioned within the interview, revealed on social media.