Russia & US To Discuss Black Sea Shipping & Ukraine Ceasefire In Saudi Arabia

The United States and Russia are set to negotiate Black Sea shipping safety and a potential ceasefire in Ukraine. Both Ukrainian and Russian officials confirmed that the talks will take place in Saudi Arabia on Monday.

This comes after a recent phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump, where they discussed maritime security.

The discussions will take place in Riyadh with the US delegation first meeting Ukrainian officials before holding separate talks with Russian representatives.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that “shuttle diplomacy” is expected, as the Trump administration seeks to broker a maritime ceasefire deal.

Yuri Ushakov, a key aide to Putin, stated that Russia’s delegation would include Grigory Karasin, chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs, and Sergei Beseda, an adviser to the director of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB).

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov added that the talks would explore “technical negotiations on the implementation of a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea, a full ceasefire, and permanent peace.”

Shipping in the Black Sea has been a major concern after the resumption of Russian attacks on merchant vessels in Odesa. A recent strike on a Greek-managed bulk carrier in Odesa took the lives of four seafarers, three of whom were foreign nationals, and two others were injured.

The negotiations will try to secure maritime safety including the Black Sea Grain Initiative brokered in July 2022 by Turkey and the United Nations.

This deal allowed Ukraine to export nearly 33 million metric tons of grain across the Black Sea before Russia withdrew in 2023, citing unfulfilled conditions regarding its own food and fertiliser exports.

Since then, Ukraine has enforced its own safe navigation corridor by targeting Russian warships, forcing the remaining fleet into safer waters.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer recently hosted Western military officials to discuss deployment plans for an international force, should a ceasefire be reached.

France, under President Emmanuel Macron, has proposed expanding its nuclear security guarantee to cover the European Union, an idea strongly opposed by Russia.

Russia’s Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu criticised these European security discussions, calling them “anti-Russian sentiment.”

Kremlin spokesman Peskov also accused Europe of becoming a “war party,” while Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova denounced German political leaders for advocating increased military spending, saying it showed a desire for “historical revenge.”

During their phone call, Trump and Putin agreed to pause attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. While Zelensky has now prioritised protecting power plants, railways, and ports from further strikes, he dismissed speculation about the US taking over the Zaporizhhia nuclear power plant, which has remained under Russian control since early 2022.

Meanwhile, discussions on the status of Crimea remain contentious. Russia insists that Crimea, home to its Black Sea Fleet, is legally part of its territory, while most of the international community recognises it as part of Ukraine.

Despite reports suggesting that Trump might acknowledge Russian control over Crimea, Zelensky stated that the issue was not discussed in his recent call with the US president.

References: Reuters, AlJazeera

Source: Maritime Shipping News