Delegations from the US and Russia began a new round of talks in Saudi Arabia on Monday, just a day after American officials met with Ukrainian representatives to continue discussing a ceasefire and other plans for ending the war in Ukraine.
But no major developments are expected in today’s discussions, which are reportedly focused on continuing the so-called shuttle diplomacy of bilateral peace negotiations between the US delegation and, separately, the Ukrainian and Russian delegations.
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US President Donald Trump told reporters outside the White House on Monday afternoon that he expects a revenue-sharing agreement on Ukrainian critical minerals to be signed soon, per The Guardian.
“We have made a deal on rare earths,” Trump said. “We will sign it soon. Right now, we are talking about territories.”
Moscow, Kyiv Trade Blame for Strikes Endangering Truce Efforts
Shortly after the Riyadh talks began on Monday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said there are no expectations for a breakthrough in the peace deal.
Instead, representatives will be “hammering out” the details of Russia’s demands for a peace agreement, according to Al Jazeera.
The first round of US-Ukraine talks ended late at night, and within hours, the US delegation began a round of discussions with its Russian counterparts.
During the US-Russia meeting, officials are expected to discuss halting strikes on energy facilities and civilian infrastructure as well as stopping attacks in the Black Sea at the top of the agenda.
The Ukrainian side hopes the US delegation can reach constructive interim peace agreements with Russia, though expectations for Russia’s position remain cautious, the source added.
Negotiations in Saudi Arabia between the US and Russian delegations began early on Monday morning. According to a correspondent in Riyadh, the meeting at the Ritz-Carlton hotel is closed to the press, and journalists have been asked to leave the venue.
The US delegation includes Michael Anton, director of policy planning under the secretary of state, aides to US Special Representative Keith Kellogg, and representatives from the National Security Council under adviser Michael Waltz.
The Russian delegation includes Sen. Grigory Karasin and Sergey Beseda, an adviser to the director of the Federal Security Service.
Kyiv’s defense minister Rustem Umerov said that the talks on Sunday were “productive and focused.” But shortly after the meetings concluded, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reminded the world that Moscow needed to end the war.
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