Yesterday saw the US and Russian delegations meet in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for technical-level talks on a Ukraine settlement.
The American delegation included Michael Anton, the policy planning director under Secretary of State Marco Rubio, plus aides to the special envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg and national security adviser Michael Waltz.
The Russians sent Grigory Karasin, Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs and Sergey Beseda, an advisor to the head of the Federal Security Service (FSB).
The negotiations in Riyadh lasted over 12 hours and focused mainly on the resumption of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which was in effect in 2022-2023 to set up safe corridors for grain export from Ukrainian ports.
Sergey Beseda’s participation as a Russian negotiator was a red flag for Ukraine, especially for the Ukrainian special services.
Russian and US delegations prepared a text for a joint communique following the talks in Riyadh, but in the end it was not published over the objections of Ukraine.
The main sticking issue is well known: Moscow demands control over the entire territory of four regions that voted in a referendum to be part or Russia – Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporozhie and Kherson – even the parts yet to be conquered.
US President Donald J. Trump said yesterday that territory, lines of demarcation, and power plant ownership were among the issues on the table.
While many in the hating USAID-media describe the meetings as a failure, it’s important to remember that these are technical talks, not expected to lead to major breakthroughs, and also: now the negotiation has so advanced that the real ‘impossible’ issues are on the table – that’s real progress.
The White House published the Outcomes of the United States and Ukraine Expert Groups On the Black Sea in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia/March 23-25, 2025
“In line with presidential-level discussions between President Donald J. Trump and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the United States facilitated bilateral technical-level talks with the Ukrainian delegation March 23-25 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Following those discussions:
The United States and Ukraine have agreed to ensure safe navigation, eliminate the use of force, and prevent the use of commercial vessels for military purposes in the Black Sea.
The United States and Ukraine agreed that the United States remains committed to helping achieve the exchange of prisoners of war, the release of civilian detainees, and the return of forcibly transferred Ukrainian children.
The United States and Ukraine agreed to develop measures for implementing President Trump’s and President Zelenskyy’s agreement to ban strikes against energy facilities of Russia and Ukraine.
The United States and Ukraine welcome the good offices of third countries with a view toward supporting the implementation of the energy and maritime agreements.
The United States and Ukraine will continue working toward achieving a durable and lasting peace.
The United States reiterated to both sides President Donald J. Trump’s imperative that the killing on both sides of the Russia-Ukraine conflict must stop, as the necessary step toward achieving an enduring peace settlement. To that end, the United States will continue facilitating negotiations between both sides to achieve a peaceful resolution, in line with the agreements made in Riyadh.
The United States expresses gratitude to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for his leadership and hospitality in once again facilitating these important discussions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”
The Kremlin also published the main results of the negotiations between expert groups of Russia and the USA:
• The Russian and American sides agreed to ensure the implementation of the “Black Sea Initiative”, which includes ensuring the safety of navigation in the Black Sea, the non-use of force and the prevention of the use of commercial vessels for military purposes while organizing appropriate control measures through the inspection of such vessels.
• The United States will help restore access for Russian agricultural and fertilizer exports to the world market and reduce the cost of marine insurance, as well as expanding access to ports and payment systems to conduct such transactions.
Note: Paragraphs 1 and 2 shall come into force after:
• Lifting sanctions restrictions from Rosselkhozbank and other financial organizations involved in ensuring operations on international trade in food (including fish products) and fertilizers, connecting them to SWIFT, opening the necessary correspondent accounts;
• Removal of restrictions on trade finance transactions;
• Lifting sanctions restrictions on companies producing and exporting food (including fish products) and fertilizers, as well as lifting restrictions on the work of insurance companies with food cargo (including fish products) and fertilizers;
• Lifting restrictions on servicing ships in ports and sanctions against ships under the Russian flag involved in the trade of food products (including fish products) and fertilizers;
• Lifting restrictions on supplies to the Russian Federation of agricultural machinery, as well as other goods used in the production of food (including fish products) and fertilizers.
• Russia and the United States agreed to develop measures to implement the agreements between the presidents of the two countries on a ban on strikes on energy facilities in Russia and Ukraine for a period of 30 days, starting on March 18, 2025, with the possibility of extending and withdrawing from the agreement in the event of non-compliance by one of the parties.
• Russia and the United States welcome good offices from third countries aimed at supporting the implementation of agreements in the energy and maritime sectors.
• Russia and the United States will continue to work to achieve a strong and lasting peace.
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