After meeting with Ukraine, the US begins negotiations with Russia

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said that talks in Saudi Arabia between delegations of Ukrainian and US officials discussed key issues such as energy in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

"The discussions were productive and focused, we resolved key issues including energy," Umerov, who led the Ukrainian delegation, said on social media. He added that Kyiv was working to make the goal of "just and lasting peace" a reality, according to AFP.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov

Mr Umerov had earlier said that proposals to protect energy facilities and critical infrastructure were on the agenda of the talks.

Also ahead of the talks with the US, a senior Ukrainian official told AFP that Kyiv would propose a broader ceasefire, including a halt to attacks on energy facilities, infrastructure and naval attacks.

In a speech on the evening of March 23, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that "Russia is the only one prolonging this war." Mr. Zelensky urged Ukraine's allies to put more pressure on Russia. "New decisions and pressure on Moscow are needed to end these attacks and this war," Mr. Zelensky emphasized.

There is currently no information about the reaction of Russia or the US to the above statement from Ukraine.

Meanwhile, TASS news agency reported this afternoon, March 24, that two delegations from Russia and the US have begun bilateral negotiations in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh on resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

The Russian delegation was led by Grigory Karasin, head of the Federal Committee on International Affairs, and Sergey Beseda, adviser to the Director of the Federal Security Service of Russia (FSB).

The US delegation was led by Andrew Peek, senior director at the US National Security Council, and Michael Anton, a senior US State Department official, according to Reuters citing several sources. Before negotiating with the Russian delegation, the US delegation held talks with the Ukrainian delegation in Saudi Arabia.

Earlier, US Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff expressed optimism that any agreement reached would pave the way for a "comprehensive" ceasefire.

Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on March 23 downplayed expectations for a quick resolution, saying that negotiations were just beginning. Mr. Peskov also said there were many unanswered questions about how a potential ceasefire would be implemented.

Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier rejected a joint call by the US and Ukraine for an immediate and complete ceasefire for 30 days, instead proposing a halt to attacks on energy facilities.

“There will be difficult negotiations ahead,” Peskov said in an interview published on social media. He said the “main” focus of the talks with the US would be the possibility of resuming the 2022 Black Sea grain deal to ensure the safety of Ukrainian agricultural exports across the Black Sea.

Moscow has pulled out of a Türkiye-United Nations-brokered grain deal in 2023, accusing the West of failing to deliver on commitments to ease sanctions on Russian agricultural and fertilizer exports, AFP reported.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/gap-ukraine-xong-my-bat-dau-dam-phan-voi-nga-185250324063710515.htm