Diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the war in Ukraine advanced on Monday as senior U.S. and Russian officials convened in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for closed-door talks centered on a potential Black Sea maritime ceasefire and broader conflict resolution strategies.
The high-level meeting came a day after American and Ukrainian delegations also met in the Saudi capital, with U.S. officials describing the Sunday discussions as “productive and focused.”
Ukraine’s Defense Minister, Rustem Umerov, confirmed that energy security and key points tied to a ceasefire formed the core of the dialogue.
According to Russia’s state-owned news agency Tass, the Russian delegation was led by Grigory Karasin, former Deputy Foreign Minister, and Sergei Beseda, an adviser to the head of the Federal Security Service (FSB).
The U.S. team was led by senior National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, who outlined the framework of the discussions during an appearance on CBS’s Face the Nation.
Waltz disclosed that negotiations among technical teams are now underway and are primarily focused on establishing a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea.
This would precede broader talks concerning a permanent line of control — the actual frontlines in the ongoing conflict that began with Russia’s invasion in February 2022.
“That gets into the details of verification mechanisms, peace-keeping, freezing the lines where they are,” Waltz stated. “And then, of course, the broader and permanent peace including security guarantees for Ukraine.”
The renewed peace push follows direct phone conversations last week between former U.S. President Donald Trump and both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
Those calls resulted in a temporary 30-day halt to Russian strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, a move seen as a goodwill gesture to facilitate negotiations.
Despite the diplomatic overtures, Zelenskiy reported continued “massive Russian drone attacks” over the weekend and urged Western allies to maintain pressure on Moscow.
Ukraine’s state-owned railway operator, Ukrzaliznytsia, also disclosed on Monday that it suffered a major cyberattack targeting most of its online services. However, physical train operations remained unaffected.
The prospect of a Black Sea ceasefire has become increasingly urgent, given the region’s strategic significance for global grain shipments, energy routes, and regional security.
Any breakthrough in the talks could stabilize maritime traffic and mitigate disruptions to global commodity flows — especially for nations reliant on Ukrainian grain exports and Russian oil transit.
While a comprehensive peace deal remains distant, analysts view the current round of talks as a significant diplomatic milestone.
The involvement of Saudi Arabia, a key oil producer and neutral broker, is also seen as instrumental in creating a viable negotiation platform.
As discussions continue, all eyes remain on Washington and Moscow to determine whether initial agreements on maritime security can evolve into a broader roadmap toward ending the war — or if the Riyadh dialogue will join a list of stalled peace attempts.
