KEY POINTS
- Russia calls latest talks with the US on Ukraine “useful”
- Russian official describes the talks as “intense” and “not easy” but timely
- Kremlin spokesperson says details of the talks will not be made public
- Moscow resists a US-proposed unconditional ceasefire
- US and Russian officials reportedly focused on a potential Black Sea ceasefire
- Russia is willing to continue talks, but no date has been set for the next round
MOSCOW/Washington: Russia on Tuesday described its latest round of talks with the United States over the ongoing Ukraine war as “useful,” with negotiations expected to continue and potentially involve the United Nations and other international stakeholders.
Grigory Karasin, chairman of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs, told Russia’s state-run TASS news agency on Tuesday that talks had been “intense” and “not easy” but remained valuable for both sides.
“We talked about everything, it was an intense dialogue, not easy, but very useful for us and the Americans,” he said.
“Of course, we are far from solving everything, from being in agreement on all points, but it seems that this type of discussion is very timely.”
He added that Russia intended to expand the dialogue, involving international stakeholders such as the UN.
The remarks came a day after US and Russian delegations engaged in 12 hours of talks in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as part of Washington’s ongoing efforts to bring an end to the war in Ukraine.
Talks continue amid war
US President Donald Trump has been pushing for a rapid resolution to the conflict, which began more than three years ago. The latest negotiations in Riyadh were seen as a step towards achieving a ceasefire.
A Ukrainian delegation was also in Riyadh for talks with US officials, with a source, cited by AFP, suggesting some progress had been made.
However, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov downplayed expectations of an immediate breakthrough, stating that the details of the discussions would not be made public.
“We are talking about technical talks, where they go into detail, so of course the contents of those talks definitely won’t be made public,” Peskov said during a daily press briefing.
“The briefings made to the capitals are being analysed, and we can talk about the understandings reached later.”
Peskov also said that there were no immediate plans for another call between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, though he noted that such a conversation could be arranged quickly if necessary.
No agreement on ceasefire
While Washington has sought to broker a ceasefire, Moscow has remained resistant to a US-proposed unconditional truce.
Earlier this month, Ukraine had agreed to a 30-day ceasefire initiative suggested by the US, but the Kremlin rejected the proposal.
“The talks are over. All details will be announced later,” a Ukrainian source said as quoted by AFP after the meeting in Riyadh.
Possible Black Sea ceasefire
US and Russian representatives reportedly focused their discussions on a possible maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea, Reuters reported, citing an unnamed White House official.
The US delegation, led by National Security Council senior director Andrew Peek and State Department official Michael Anton, viewed the talks as productive and expected “a positive announcement” in the near future, the source said as cited by Reuters.
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Russia and the US were reportedly preparing a joint statement on the meeting, with Russian state media indicating that a draft had been circulated for approval. However, by the expected time of release, no official statement had been made.
Kremlin spokesperson Peskov reiterated that the details of the discussions were still under review, stating, “The reports made in the capital [by Russia’s negotiators] are being analysed, and only then will it be possible to talk about some understandings.”
The negotiations mark the latest attempt by President Trump to secure a peace deal between Kyiv and Moscow.
Last week, President Putin rejected Washington’s ceasefire proposal but offered a limited halt to attacks on Ukraine’s energy sector. However, Russia has continued its aerial bombardment of Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.
Russia has signalled its willingness to continue discussions, but no date has been set for another round of negotiations.
