According to a CBS News report citing informed sources, the technical team from the US that participated in talks with a Russian delegation in Riyadh submitted an “optimistic” assessment to the administration of President Donald Trump.
Reuters reported that discussions between Russia and the US included steps to support Trump’s efforts to end the conflict, including a potential ceasefire in the Black Sea. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that the Black Sea initiative was on the agenda in Riyadh.
Peskov stated that maritime security was a primary focus. Bloomberg added that technical details regarding a 30-day halt in attacks on energy facilities were also discussed.
On March 24, Trump addressed the topics discussed in Riyadh, saying, “Right now, we’re talking about territories. We’re talking about border lines, power, and ownership of power plants.”
The US president also expressed general satisfaction with the progress of the talks and praised Russian President Vladimir Putin for his participation.
A White House source told Reuters that progress had been made in the Riyadh meetings and that a “positive announcement” was expected soon. Peskov added that Putin would be briefed immediately on the outcomes of the Russian and American delegations’ discussions.
Additionally, RIA Novosti reported, citing a source, that the Russian delegation was in good spirits following the talks with US representatives in Saudi Arabia.
The meeting between the two delegations lasted over 12 hours on March 24 at The Ritz-Carlton in Riyadh, with three breaks. The discussions were closed to the press.
The Russian side was represented by Sergey Beseda, advisor to the director of the Federal Security Service (FSB), and Grigory Karasin, head of the International Affairs Committee of the Russian Federation Council. Russian Deputy President Yury Ushakov noted that these individuals were experienced diplomats well-versed in international affairs.
According to foreign media reports, the US delegation included Andrew Peek, senior director for Europe at the National Security Council, and Michael Anton, director of policy planning at the State Department, among others.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova emphasized that while major breakthroughs should not be expected from the Riyadh talks, it was important to recognize that work had been done across multiple areas.
