Russia and the United States are meeting on Monday in Saudi Arabia to continue negotiations aimed at establishing a partial ceasefire in Ukraine.
US President Donald Trump, whose rapprochement with Vladimir Putin has reshaped the conflict, has expressed a desire to end hostilities and has sent his envoys to Riyadh for talks with both parties.
Talks between Russian and American envoys began on Monday morning at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Riyadh, following late-night discussions between Ukrainian and American representatives, according to the Russian-state Tass news agency.
"The discussion was productive and focused. We addressed key points, particularly energy," reported Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, who led the Ukrainian delegation, adding that Ukraine is striving for a "just and lasting peace."
Washington and Kyiv are pushing for at least a temporary halt to strikes on energy sites, which have been heavily damaged on the Ukrainian side.
Ukraine has stated that it is "ready" for an unconditional general ceasefire. However, Vladimir Putin, whose army continues to advance on the ground despite significant losses, appears to be stalling until his forces have expelled Ukrainian troops from the Russian border region of Kursk.
At this stage, the Kremlin has confirmed that it has only agreed with Washington on a moratorium regarding the bombing of energy infrastructure.
"This is a very complex issue and much remains to be done," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted, describing the negotiations as "difficult."
Despite this, Donald Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, remained optimistic, anticipating "real progress," particularly concerning a ceasefire in the Black Sea involving naval ships from both countries.
