Negotiations on the “Black Sea Initiative” Spill into 12-Hour Marathon in Riyadh
Russian and US delegations have been engaged in a marathon of talks in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, exceeding the original agenda’s scope. The initiative, first proposed three years ago, aimed to ensure safe navigation in the Black Sea. According to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s press secretary, Dmitri Peskow, the talks centered on the Black Sea Initiative and related issues.
Peskow stated that the initiative, proposed by US President Donald Trump and approved by Putin, had failed in 2022 due to the majority of commitments not being met by the other parties involved, primarily Ukraine, which had received support from the Western anti-Russian coalition led by the US.
The US, as announced by the new director of the State Department’s press service, Tammy Bruce, aims to restore “complete peace and business activity” in the Black Sea’s waters. The Russian delegation, led by Grigori Karassin, the head of the Federation Council’s international affairs committee and Sergei Besseda, a senior advisor to the FSB, has been in Riyadh.
The closed-door talks have kept their details under wraps, but indirect signs of progress have emerged, including a statement from the US State Department that the parties are closer to a ceasefire in Ukraine, including the Black Sea, than ever before.
Karassin’s statement, that the sides have discussed “serious problems” and the talks have proceeded “creatively” also hinted at the talks’ scope exceeding the original agenda.
The Kremlin had not ruled out the possibility of discussing additional aspects of Ukraine’s regulation in Riyadh, in addition to the Black Sea Initiative.
As the US-Russia talks neared their conclusion, a statement from US President Donald Trump mentioned the discussion of territorial issues and potential demarcation lines in the conflict zone between Russia and Ukraine.
The talks in Riyadh mark a step forward in the long and challenging process of Ukraine’s regulation, laying the groundwork for the future. The outcome is crucial, as the old formula “Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine” has lost its relevance and Ukraine remains on the sidelines, waiting for the decisions of Russia and the US.