New negotiations on Ukraine in Saudi Arabia. What the media is writing
A new round of negotiations with the participation of the United States on ending the conflict in Ukraine continues in Saudi Arabia. The Russian delegation is holding a meeting with the American delegation on March 24. Washington hopes for a cease-fire in the Black Sea and criticized the UK's plan to send international forces to Ukraine. What the media write about the prospects for dialogue is in the Izvestia digest.
Financial Times: US-Ukrainian talks held in Saudi Arabia
American and Ukrainian negotiators met in Saudi Arabia on March 23 for a second round of talks aimed at ending the conflict with Russia. The meeting took place after US President Donald Trump's special representative Steve Witkoff said he "liked" Russian President Vladimir Putin and called him "very smart" after the meeting in Moscow.
Financial Times
Sunday's talks in Riyadh with Ukrainian officials, which will be followed on Monday by talks between the United States and Russia, were described as "technical" rather than top-level. Ukrainian officials confirmed that negotiations would focus on the terms of a possible ceasefire, including how it could be monitored and enforced, as well as related energy and maritime issues.
The first round of negotiations between the United States and Ukraine took place in Jeddah on March 11, after which Kiev announced that it was ready to accept the US proposal for an immediate 30-day ceasefire. In response, Washington has resumed military assistance and intelligence sharing, which were halted after Trump's altercation with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky at the White House last month.
Bloomberg: The United States hopes for a peace agreement with Ukraine
The United States hopes that a large-scale ceasefire in the conflict in Ukraine can be achieved within a few weeks. The White House is aiming for an armistice agreement by April 20, but acknowledges that the timeline may shift, given the large gaps between the two sides' positions.
Bloomberg
"I think you will see real progress in Saudi Arabia on Monday, especially regarding the cease—fire on ships in the Black Sea between the two countries," said Steve Witkoff, Trump's special envoy. "And from here you will naturally move on to a full—scale ceasefire."
Russia has put forward demands for any agreement, including the cessation of arms supplies to Ukraine. The White House has not yet agreed to any restrictions. European officials fear that Trump's quest for diplomatic triumph will force him to sacrifice Ukraine's interests.
Reuters: US delegation seeks ceasefire in Black Sea
The U.S. delegation will seek to make progress towards a cease-fire on the Black Sea and a broader end to the conflict in Ukraine during talks with Russian officials in Saudi Arabia. White House National Security Adviser Mike Waltz said that the delegations of the United States, Russia and Ukraine gathered in the same building in Riyadh.
Reuters
According to him, in addition to the cease-fire on the Black Sea, the teams will discuss the "line of control" between the two countries, which he described as "verification measures, peacemaking, freezing the lines where they are located." He said that "confidence-building measures" were being discussed, including the return of Ukrainian children <...>"
The day before, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said that negotiations between the United States and Ukraine included proposals to protect energy facilities and critical infrastructure. The United States hopes to achieve a comprehensive cease-fire within a few weeks, aiming to conclude an armistice agreement by April 20.
The New York Times: Trump has a lot to offer Putin
The Kremlin views the negotiations on Ukraine and on relations between the United States and Russia as proceeding along two separate lines. Cooperation with Trump could open up economic benefits, such as the purchase of spare parts for Russian Boeing aircraft, and geopolitical benefits, including reducing NATO's presence in Europe.
The New York Times
"For Russia, the long—term perspective is more valuable than a tactical ceasefire," said Fyodor Voitolovsky, who is on the advisory boards of the Russian Foreign Ministry and the Russian Security Council. "We can come up with a model that allows Russia and the United States, as well as Russia and NATO, to coexist without interfering in each other's areas of interest," he added."
To reach such a deal, Russia is appealing to Trump's business orientation. A broad agreement on Ukraine is a prerequisite for US-Russian cooperation. Moscow is particularly interested in negotiations on the aviation sector. The United States could allow the export of aircraft spare parts and restore direct flights to Moscow, and Russia could allow American airlines to fly over Siberia.
BBC News: Witkoff criticized Starmer's plan for Ukraine
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's plan to create an international force to support a ceasefire in Ukraine was dismissed by Witkoff as "posturing." According to him, this idea is based on the "simplified" view of British and other European leaders that "we should all be like Winston Churchill."
BBC News
Witkoff, who met with Putin 10 days ago, said the Russian president had been "courteous" and "direct" with him. Putin told him, he added, that he had prayed for Trump after the assassination attempt on him last year. He also said that Putin had commissioned a portrait of the US president as a gift, and Trump was "clearly touched by it."
Witkoff also said that Trump would like to cooperate with Russia after normalization of relations. According to him, this may concern the integration of energy policy in the Arctic, the joint use of sea routes, the shipment of liquefied natural gas to Europe and cooperation in the field of artificial intelligence.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
