Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attends a press convention in Oslo, Norway, on March 20. File Photograph by Ole Berg-Rusten/EPA-EFE
March 23 (UPI) — The US has begun separate conferences with delegations from Ukraine and Russia in Saudi Arabia because the administration of President Donald Trump pushes to dealer a peace settlement between the 2 international locations.
Talks between the US and Ukraine have been confirmed by Ukrainian Protection Minister Rustem Umerov, who’s main his nation’s delegation, in a publish on social media. The delegation additionally consists of presidential navy adviser Pavlo Palisa, overseas coverage adviser Ihor Zhovkva and a number of other navy officers.
“We have began the assembly with the American staff in Riyadh,” Umerov mentioned. He mentioned the day’s agenda was about defending vitality services and important infrastructure after Kyiv accused Moscow of violating its promise to halt assaults on vitality infrastructure.
“At this time, we’re working by way of a lot of complicated technical points,” he added. “Our delegation consists of vitality specialists in addition to navy representatives from the naval and air parts.”
One other Ukrainian official, talking anonymously to The New York Occasions, mentioned talks between the Ukrainians and the People would possibly proceed Monday if progress was felt Sunday. U.S.-Russia talks across the conflict can even happen Monda in Riyadh.
The talks got here whilst Steve Witkoff, Trump’s particular envoy to the Center East who additionally has a hand in negotiating with Russia, heralded Russian President Vladimir Putin as “tremendous sensible.”
“I do not regard Putin as a foul man,” Witkoff mentioned on Tucker Carlson’s podcast Friday. He additionally echoed Russian messaging across the conflict, together with that the Russian-occupied territories in Ukraine wish to be part of Russia.
The talks in Riyadh mark the second spherical of U.S.-Ukrainian discussions after a primary spherical occurred in Jeddah on March 11. They usually come weeks after Trump and Vice President JD Vance berated Zelensky on the White Home.
In the meantime, the Russian delegation will embody profession diplomat Grigory Karasin and Sergei Beseda, an adviser to the top of Russia’s Federal Safety Service spy company, Monetary Occasions reported.
Trump, talking in an Air Power One interview to Clay Travis of the sports activities web site Outkick, mentioned there was no person on the planet who may cease Putin apart from him.
“I feel I am going to have the ability to cease him,” Trump mentioned. “We have had some very rational discussions, and I simply wish to see the folks cease getting killed. They’re dropping 2,500 younger youngsters every week, and so they’re Russian and so they’re Ukrainian.”
