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Delegations from Ukraine, Russia, and the US will meet in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Monday to discuss a potential ceasefire and peace negotiations. Here is what you should know:
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that Kyiv’s delegation would meet with US representatives to submit a list of energy infrastructure that should be off-limits for Russian strikes. The US is expected to eventually relay Ukraine’s concerns to the Russian side.
- Moscow announced that Sergei Beseda, a former FSB intelligence chief, will lead Russia’s negotiating team in Riyadh.
- The US appears to be shuttling between Kyiv and Moscow to broker a ceasefire, aligning with Trump’s expressed desire for a swift resolution to the war. However, both Russia and Ukraine have contested the White House’s previous accounts of the progress made.
- The talks will focus on finalising a limited ceasefire agreement and laying the groundwork for a maritime ceasefire.
- Zelenskyy accused Russia of making “unnecessary demands” that could prolong the war. Meanwhile, Moscow has stated that serious peace talks require Ukraine to halt foreign military aid and intelligence-sharing.
- US special envoy Steve Witkoff identified the status of Crimea and four other Russian-occupied Ukrainian regions (Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson) as the major roadblock in negotiations.
- The Kremlin has conducted referenda in these regions, which were widely dismissed by Ukraine and the international community as illegitimate. Witkoff, however, cited these referenda as evidence that the regions wish to remain under Russian control.
- Zelenskyy has said that Ukraine does not recognise the “annexed territories” as part of Russia. He indicated that while discussions over a ceasefire will continue, the territorial dispute might need to be addressed in later talks.
- Witkoff suggested that the US-Russia relationship is improving, mentioning that President Vladimir Putin had commissioned a portrait of Donald Trump and gifted it to him. Witkoff also claimed Putin personally prayed for Trump following an assassination attempt in September.
- Discussions have also touched on broader areas of collaboration beyond Ukraine, including energy policy in the Arctic, shared sea lanes, artificial intelligence, and liquefied natural gas exports to Europe.
