The three days of meetings in Saudi Arabia, which did not include direct Russian-Ukrainian negotiations, are part of an attempt to finalize details on a partial ceasefire in the war in Ukraine that has been ongoing for over three years. This morning's talks in Riyadh between Ukrainian and American representatives concluded after less than two hours of exchanging positions. The previous day, talks between Russian and American representatives lasted twelve hours with three breaks.
The content of the discussions will not be disclosed, as stated by a Russian representative in Riyadh, who suggested that the UN could join the dialogue. The Ukrainian delegation mentioned that they would report on their morning meeting later.
Both parties made statements today regarding these discussions. Russia today demanded security guarantees from Ukraine to resume the implementation of the so-called Black Sea Initiative.
Furthermore, Russia has asked the United States to order Ukraine to reactivate the agreement on commercial navigation and to lift the restrictions on Russian grain and fertilizer trade.
On the other hand, Ukraine does not rule out including the Zaporiyia nuclear power plant in the economic agreement with the US regarding the exploitation of Ukrainian natural resources, something that Washington would be interested in "expanding."
Tomorrow, Wednesday, President Emmanuel Macron will receive his Ukrainian counterpart Volodimir Zelenski at the Elysee ahead of Thursday's summit of the countries in the "volunteer coalition" to provide security guarantees to Ukraine.
Moscow and Kiev agreed to a limited 30-day ceasefire last week, yet both sides continue to attack each other with drones and missiles.
UN Under-Secretary for Peacekeeping Operations Hopes to Discuss Mission in Ukraine with Europeans
The UN Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, expressed on Tuesday his hope to discuss with the European Union (EU) a hypothetical mission in Ukraine, although he made it clear that neither Russia nor the United States have contacted him about it yet.
Lacroix, who is in Brussels to meet with EU officials, acknowledged in a press conference that he is frequently asked about the possibility of the United Nations supporting a future observation or peacekeeping mission in Ukraine, in case the country reaches a ceasefire with the Russian invader.
"It is very hypothetical, but yes, I hope my EU counterparts will address the issue," he said.
Russia Says Daily Attacks on Its Infrastructure Make Agreements with Ukraine Impossible
The Russian Ministry of Defense accused Ukraine on Tuesday of new attacks on Russian energy infrastructure and stated that these make agreements with Kiev impossible, as reported by Efe.
"By continuing the daily attacks on Russian energy infrastructure, (Ukrainian President, Volodymyr) Zelensky confirms his inability to negotiate and his lack of control to ensure compliance with any possible agreement," Defense stated in a press release.
In the same note, the military department accused Kiev of attacking a station of the Russian power grid operator in Krasnodar, in the south of the country, as well as a gas distribution station in the Lugansk region, annexed by Russia in 2022.
Ukrainian forces also launched an attack yesterday on an underground gas storage facility in Crimea, but the anti-aircraft defenses shot down enemy drones before they reached their target, according to Defense.
The day before, Russian military denounced a new Ukrainian attack on the 'Kropotskinskaya' oil pumping station of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) in Krasnodar.
Ukraine Does Not Rule Out Including the Zaporiyia Nuclear Power Plant in an Economic Agreement with the US
Kiev does not rule out amending the draft agreement through which the United States expects American companies to benefit from the future exploitation of Ukraine's natural resources so that US companies can invest in the Zaporiyia nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe and currently occupied by Russia, if it returns to Ukrainian hands in the negotiations.
This was explained on Tuesday in an intervention on Ukrainian television by the advisor to the Ukrainian presidential office, Sergiy Leshchenko, who confirmed that the US has shown interest in "expanding" the agreement.
Leshchenko indicated that the US is willing to invest in the plant and that Ukraine "is not against discussing it."
"At the moment, the agreement on raw materials does not include it," said the Ukrainian presidential advisor about the version of the agreement that was already accepted by the Ukrainian government and should have been signed with the US during the failed visit of President Volodymyr Zelensky to the White House.
Leshchenko added that "this does not mean that these changes cannot be made in the future."
Sánchez Will Attend Thursday's Leaders Meeting on Ukraine
The Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, will participate next Thursday in Paris in the meeting of leaders convened by the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, to continue analyzing the situation in Ukraine and the expectations of a peace process, as reported by Efe.
It was the Government spokesperson, Pilar Alegría, who officially confirmed Sánchez's attendance at that meeting announced by Macron last week during the European Council held in Brussels.
Macron called that meeting of the so-called "volunteer coalition," in which he said that the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, will also participate, after the meeting of the Chiefs of Staff of the countries that make up that coalition also took place in Paris.
Spain was represented by the Chief of Defense Staff (Jemad), Admiral General Teodoro López Calderón.
Russia Asks US to "Order" Ukraine to Reactivate Black Sea Agreement
Russia requested on Tuesday an "order" from the United States to Ukraine to reach an agreement on commercial navigation in the Black Sea and to lift the restrictions on Russian grain and fertilizer trade, as reported by Afp.
"We need clear guarantees (...) These guarantees can only result from an order from Washington to (Ukrainian President, Volodymyr) Zelensky," said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, as reported by the Russian press. He added that Moscow also demands to stop being "excluded" from the global fertilizer and grain market.
Russia Demands "Clear Guarantees" from Ukraine to Resume Black Sea Ceasefire
Russia demanded today "clear guarantees" from Ukraine for the resumption of the implementation of the so-called Black Sea Initiative, after the Russian-American negotiations held on Monday in Riyadh, the Saudi capital, as reported by Efe.
"Our position is simple: we cannot trust the word of that person," said Sergey Lavrov, the Foreign Minister, referring to the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, to Channel One of Russian television. Lavrov emphasized that Russia needs "clear guarantees" and that, given the precedents, "these can only be the result of an order from Washington to Zelensky and his team to do it in this way and not otherwise."
"I think our American partners understood our signal," he added. He admitted that the resumption of the ceasefire in the Black Sea was one of the main issues discussed with the US in Riyadh, as agreed a week ago in a telephone conversation between the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, and the American President, Donald Trump.