MOSCOW: US and Ukrainian officers have been on account of meet in Saudi Arabia on Sunday (Mar 23) for talks on the way to halt the Russian invasion, a member of the Ukrainian delegation advised AFP, whereas the Kremlin warned of “troublesome negotiations” and a protracted 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 each side proposing completely 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 advised 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 best way 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 nations. And from that you will naturally gravitate to a full-on capturing ceasefire,” he advised Fox Information.
However the Kremlin on Sunday downplayed expectations of a speedy decision, saying talks have been simply starting.
“We’re solely firstly of this path,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov advised Russian state TV.
He mentioned there have been many excellent “questions” and “nuances” over how a possible ceasefire could be carried out.
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 vitality amenities.
“There are troublesome negotiations forward,” Peskov mentioned within the interview, revealed on social media.
