US and Russian officials met in Saudi Arabia on Monday to discuss a potential ceasefire in Ukraine, with Washington focusing first on securing a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea before pursuing a broader agreement.
The meeting followed US discussions with Ukraine in Saudi Arabia the previous day, as President Donald Trump ramps up efforts to end the three-year conflict. Last week, Trump spoke separately with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“The primary focus is the safety of navigation,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, referencing a 2022 Black Sea shipping deal that, according to Moscow, failed to meet its promises.
The US delegation was led by National Security Council official Andrew Peek and senior State Department official Michael Anton. Russia was represented by Grigory Karasin, chair of the Russian parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, and Sergei Beseda, an adviser to Russia’s Federal Security Service.
After nearly three hours of talks, Karasin described the discussions as “creative” and acknowledged progress on addressing key “irritants” in US-Russia relations.
Trump has voiced optimism about the negotiations and praised Putin’s engagement, saying efforts to prevent further escalation were “somewhat under control.”
However, European leaders remain skeptical, doubting Putin’s willingness to make meaningful concessions. The Russian leader insists that Ukraine must abandon its NATO ambitions and withdraw from four regions Russia claims as its own before peace talks can advance.
