On the evening of March 24, local time, US-Russia talks held in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, officially concluded. The meeting lasted over 12 hours, indicating in-depth consultations on key issues between both parties.
The talks were described by the Russian side as "expert-level consultations," focusing on the situation in the Black Sea region and the restoration of the grain export agreement. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov previously stated that the main topic of discussion would be whether the Russian President agrees to resume the Black Sea grain initiative, seen as a critical entry point to alleviate regional humanitarian and trade pressures.
Simultaneously, the United States clearly expressed its intention to de-escalate the situation. The US National Security Advisor, Wals, revealed in an interview a day prior to the talks that after a conversation between Presidents Trump and Putin, a preliminary ceasefire agreement on aerial infrastructure was reached. Wals stated that the US is committed to promoting a maritime ceasefire arrangement in the Black Sea, aiming to restart the transport of grain and fuel and to restore trade routes in the Black Sea region.
According to Wals, once a maritime ceasefire is achieved, the US plans to further advance ceasefire discussions in frontline areas, ultimately seeking to achieve a broader and more lasting peaceful resolution.
Although no specific outcomes have been announced, the lengthy discussions signaled a certain degree of easing, indicating that the US and Russia are attempting to find room for maneuvering in the Ukraine situation through multi-level consultations. Whether actual ceasefire arrangements and agreement implementations can be formed depends on further actions and changes in the stances of both parties.
