American and Russian officials finished the conversations of one day of the day focused on a limited proposal for a high fire in the sea between kyiv and Moscow, part of a diplomatic effort that Washington hopes to help to pave the way for broader peace negotiations.
Even when the meeting was under Saudi Arabia, where a Ukrainian delegation was present on the sidelines, a Russian missile strike damaged a school and a hospital in Ukraine, wounding at least 88 people.
The conversations, which focused among other issues in trying to reach an agreement of high maritime fire of the Black Sea, were interpreted by Washington as a step in the effort of the president of the United States, Donald Trump, to end the three -year war.
A White House source said that progress was being made in Riad’s conversations and claimed a “positive announcement” was expected “in the near future.”
Russia’s news agency said the Russian delegation, when asked about its mood after the end of the conversations, replied: “Okay.”
A Russian source told Reuters that the conversations had concluded on Monday night and that a draft of a joint statement to Moscow and Washington had been sent for approval, and the parties intended to release it on Tuesday.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said previously that documents would not be signed, the Tass agency reported.
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Earlier on Monday, Trump listed other problems that he said they were on the table: “We are talking about territory at this time. We are talking about demarcation lines, speaking of energy, owned by the energy plant.”
Last week, Russia rejected a Trump proposal for a high 30 -day fire in Ukraine, and so far agreed only a moratorium on the energy infrastructure of attack.
Missiles hits Sumy
As Monday’s conversations were held in Riyadh, Russian missiles hit the city of Sumy in the northeast of Ukraine. Several high -rise residential blocks were damaged along with a school and a hospital, said regional governor Volodymyr Artiukh in a video filmed in front of a fire that produces a column of smoke.
The schoolchildren were in a shelter at that time, avoiding worse casualties, he added.
“Moscow talks about peace while making brutal attacks in densely populated residential areas in the main Ukrainian cities,” said Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.
“Instead of making hollow statements about peace, Russia must stop bombing our cities and end their war against civilians.”
The conversations in Saudi Arabia follow the telephone calls last week between Trump and the two presidents, Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine and Vladimir Putin of Russia. Ukrainian officials met with Americans in Saudi Arabia on Sunday.
Trump, who has reduced diplomatic support from the United States for Ukraine and publicly changed a much less critical position with Russia than that of his predecessor Joe Biden, says that his goal is to put a quick end to war.
Black Sea considerations
The White House says that the initial objective of Saudi conversations is to ensure a maritime truce in the Black Sea, which allows shipping free flow.
But maritime battles have been a relatively limited facet of the war since 2023, after Ukrainian attacks led Moscow to move their navy away from disputed waters, which makes it possible for Ukraine to reopen ports and resume exports.
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“This is mainly the safety of navigation,” said Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman. He said that a previous agreement backed by the UN on the shipment of the Black Sea had failed to deliver some of Moscow’s demands.
An informed source about the planning of the Saudi conversations said that the American side was led by Andrew Peek, senior director of the National Security Council of the White House, and Michael Anton, a senior official of the United States Department of State.
Russia was represented by Grigory Karasin, a former diplomat who is now president of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Upper House of Russia.
Karasin was summoned by the Interfax news agency saying during a break in Monday’s conversations that were progressing “creatively” and that the two parties had discussed issues considered “irritating” in bilateral ties.
Trump had expressed wide satisfaction about the way the conversations have gone and has been free about Putin’s commitment.
But the main European powers doubt whether Putin is ready to make real concessions or will adhere to what they see their maximalist demands, which do not seem to have changed since he sent troops to Ukraine in 2022.
Putin says that he is ready to discuss peace, but that Ukraine must officially abandon his NATO ambitions and withdraw his troops from the totality of four Ukrainian regions that Russia has unilaterally attached.
The White House National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz, told CBS’s Face the nation On Sunday, American, Russian and Ukrainian delegations met at the same installation in Riyadh.
Beyond a high black sea fire, Waltz said the teams would discuss the “control line” between the two armies, which described as “verification measures, maintenance of peace, freezing the lines where they are.”
