US and Ukrainian officials were meeting in Saudi Arabia on Sunday for talks on a partial ceasefire in the war with Russia, with Washington hoping for "real progress" but the Kremlin warning of "difficult negotiations" and a long journey to peace.
US President Donald Trump is pushing for a rapid end to the three-year war and hopes talks in Riyadh, which will see US officials hold separate technical-level discussions with delegations from Ukraine and Russia could pave the way to a breakthrough.
Despite both sides proposing different plans for temporary ceasefires, attacks have continued unabated. A Russian strike on the Ukrainian capital killed three civilians overnight while Ukrainian drones killed two in Russia, officials said Sunday.
Originally scheduled to take place simultaneously to enable shuttle diplomacy — with the US going back and forth between the delegations — the talks on a partial truce are now taking place one after the other.
The meeting between the Ukrainian team, led by defence minister Rustem Umerov and the Americans got underway in Riyadh on Sunday evening, Umerov said on Facebook.
"The agenda includes proposals to protect energy facilities and critical infrastructure," he said, adding the teams were "working through a number of complex technical issues."
Talks between the US and Russia were set for Monday.
Trump envoy Steve Witkoff voiced optimism that any agreement struck would pave the way to a "full-on" ceasefire.
"I think you're going to see in Saudi Arabia on Monday some real progress, particularly as it affects a Black Sea ceasefire on ships between both countries.
And from that you'll naturally gravitate to a full-on shooting ceasefire," he told Fox News.
But the Kremlin on Sunday downplayed expectations of a rapid resolution, saying talks were just beginning.
"We are only at the beginning of this path," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian state TV.
He said there were many outstanding "questions" and "nuances" over how a potential ceasefire might be implemented.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has rejected a joint US-Ukrainian call for a full and immediate 30-day pause, proposing instead a halt in attacks only on energy facilities.
"There are difficult negotiations ahead," Peskov said in the interview, published on social media.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ