US-Russia talks begin in Saudi Arabia about Ukraine war, focus on Black Sea ceasefire

The White House in a statement has said that talks between US and Russian officials would revolve around securing a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea and allowing the free flow of shipping, however, the water body hasn’t been at the center of intense military operations in recent months.

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, firefighters put out the fire following a Russian attack near Kyiv, Ukraine. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, “This is primarily about the safety of navigation,” adding that an earlier attempt to secure a ceasefire agreement on Black Sea shipping brokered in 2022 had failed.

US and Russian negotiators launch ceasefire talks in Saudi Arabia https://t.co/RYJrw7oV6W

— The Associated Press (@AP) March 24, 2025

Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov said that the meeting between US and Ukraine officials, held in Riyadh on Sunday, was “productive”.

Trump, who had promised that the Russia-Ukraine war will be resolved as soon as he takes the office, has expressed satisfaction over the developments in order to end the hostilities and talks ongoing between Russia-US and Ukrainian delegates.

Meanwhile, the attacks continued on Monday as Russian missiles targeted Sumy, a city in the north east of Ukraine while Kyiv claimed that at least 65 people have been injured in the attack, including 14 children.

Ukraine claimed that it destroyed at least four military helicopters in Russia.