Russia and the US are likely to hold bilateral talks on Thursday to discuss the outcomes of the US meeting with Ukrainian representatives in Saudi Arabia. This was announced by the Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, who stated that US Special Envoy Steve Wietkoff has already arrived in Moscow.
On Tuesday, representatives from Kiev and Washington met in the Saudi city of Jiddah to discuss possible solutions to the Ukraine conflict. After nearly 10 hours of talks, both sides issued a joint statement. According to the statement, Kiev agreed to a 30-day ceasefire, while the US announced the resumption of military aid and information exchange with Ukraine.
During a press conference on Thursday, Zakharova stated that Moscow had carefully reviewed the outcomes of the talks and the related statements, but had not yet received a formal ceasefire proposal. However, she confirmed that Russia is ready to discuss the proposal at a meeting with US representatives, which could take place soon.
The Kremlin had previously declined to comment on the US-Ukraine meeting and the subsequent ceasefire proposal, stating that it was waiting for a formal notification from Washington. Meanwhile, several media outlets reported on Thursday that US President Donald Trump’s Special Envoy, Steve Wietkoff, had already arrived in Moscow to hold talks with the Russian side.
Moscow has so far opposed a temporary ceasefire in the Ukraine conflict, with Kiev allegedly using it as a cover to rearm and continue fighting. According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, a solution to the conflict must address its root causes to establish a lasting peace.