US-Russia Talks in Riyadh Seek Partial Ukraine Ceasefire
- Iruni Kalupahana
- Mar 26
- 3 min read
Iruni Kalupahana JadeTimes Staff
I. Kalupahana is a Jadetimes news reporter covering Russia-Ukraine war
Ongoing Negotiations in Saudi Arabia
US and Russian negotiators met in Riyadh for a 12 hour round of negotiations on Monday to attempt to reach an agreement on a partial truce in Ukraine. The behind closed doors negotiations were part of broader diplomatic efforts to bring an end to the nearly three year war. Russian state news agency TASS reported that a joint statement summarizing the negotiations is to be released on Tuesday. Meanwhile, US officials will go ahead to negotiate with Ukrainian negotiators on economic cooperation and security.
US-Ukraine Economic Agreements
US President Donald Trump announced that his administration is negotiating with Ukraine on a revenue sharing deal for strategic minerals, which are vital for the defense and technology sectors. There are also negotiations for potential US investment in Ukrainian power plants, which could improve the energy security of Ukraine amid ongoing Russian attacks on its facilities. These agreements show Washington's resolve to help Ukraine economically even if military aid remains a contentious issue in US domestic politics.
Black Sea Security
One of the key areas of negotiation was ensuring safe passage for shipping from the Black Sea, an important corridor for international grain exports. Being considered were the restoration of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, originally negotiated by Turkiye and the United Nations in 2022 but abandoned by Moscow in 2023 over disagreements regarding Western sanctions on Russian agricultural product exports. If resumed, the deal would stabilize the global food markets as Ukraine is a leading grain exporter to Africa and the Middle East.
Challenges in Reaching a Consensus
Despite the long negotiations, analysts say Russia is still placing additional demands, perhaps keeping it in balance. Oleksiy Melnyk, co-head of Foreign Relations and International Security Programmes at Ukraine's Razumkov Centre, said that Moscow's requests have a tendency to extend far beyond pragmatic diplomatic compromises. Though the US has tried to broker, Ukraine has insisted on a ceasefire that can be legally enforced, as they do not want temporary pauses to serve as an opportunity for Russia to regroup and launch further attacks.
Recent Violations of Ceasefire
This comes despite a previous agreement among Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for a 30 day ceasefire against energy infrastructure. Both parties have accused each other of continuing to attack as the last week saw Russian airstrikes on power facilities near Kyiv and Sumy, injuring nearly 90 people, including 17 children. In its turn, Ukraine has attacked Russian oil tanks with drones, one of the fires in Krasnodar burning for five days. The Kremlin asserts that it is keeping its promise, whereas Kyiv insists on a treaty first, before ceasing entirely.
Escalation of Attacks
Russian aerial bombing not only demolished civilian infrastructure, but also targeted military logistics lines in Ukraine. On Monday, a cyberattack shut down Ukraine's state railway ticketing system, which the officials believe was Moscow's effort to disable transportation and instigate public disorder. Russia, however, reported that it shot down 227 Ukrainian drones in a single day, highlighting the scope of the current drone warfare. Moreover, Ukraine's missile strikes on Russian energy facilities have led Moscow to allocate military assets to defend essential fuel supplies.
Diplomatic Efforts
Although Trump has been positive about the talks, European powers are skeptical regarding the extent to which Putin is prepared to make concessions. Moscow continues to demand that Ukraine formally abandon its dreams of joining NATO and leave four Russian held regions demands which Kyiv finds unacceptable. With both sides unwilling to compromise, the Riyadh negotiations may only achieve a temporary reprieve and not a final agreement. But sustained diplomatic efforts suggest that international efforts to cool the war are not yet spent.
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