Ukraine, Russia to Resume Talks with US in Saudi Next Week

During a press conference in Oslo on Thursday, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy detailed the structure of the upcoming meetings. On Monday, US officials are expected to engage with Ukrainian experts before holding separate discussions with Russian representatives.

“There will be a meeting between Ukraine and the United States, followed by shuttle diplomacy, as our American colleagues call it, where the US will meet with Russia,” Zelenskyy stated, speaking after a session with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.

Yuri Ushakov, a senior foreign policy advisor to Russian President Vladimir Putin, corroborated that talks between Russian and US officials will take place in Riyadh on Monday. He added that the discussions will center around ensuring the safety of shipping routes in the Black Sea.

Russia’s delegation will be led by Grigory Karasin, former diplomat and current chair of the Federation Council's Committee on Foreign Affairs, alongside Sergei Beseda, advisor to the director of the Federal Security Service (FSB).

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov revealed that during a telephone conversation between Putin and US President Donald Trump on Tuesday, the two leaders discussed the "Black Sea Initiative." The White House issued a statement following the call, announcing an agreement for technical negotiations to establish a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea, with broader discussions on a full ceasefire and permanent peace.

Partial Ceasefire and Energy Targets
In the wake of separate calls with President Trump this week, both the Ukrainian and Russian leaders indicated their in-principle agreement for a pause in attacks on energy infrastructure.

Zelenskyy confirmed on Thursday that while he initially advocated for a broader ceasefire, he is now focused on collaborating with the US to halt assaults on power production and civilian facilities. The previous day, he had indicated his intention to expand the partial ceasefire’s scope to include rail and port infrastructure as well.

However, Zelenskyy clarified that he would not discuss the potential US acquisition of Ukraine’s Russia-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant with Trump, after US officials floated the idea. The plant, seized by Moscow during its 2022 invasion, once generated nearly a quarter of Ukraine's electricity prior to the war.

When asked about reports suggesting Trump might recognize Russian-occupied Crimea as part of Russia, Zelenskyy noted that the US president did not raise this issue during their call. The Kremlin, however, has consistently stated that Crimea, home to Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, is an integral part of Russia, despite international recognition of the peninsula as Ukrainian territory.

International Peacekeeping Plans
In London, Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosted a meeting of Western military officials to discuss plans for an international peacekeeping force in Ukraine, as discussions on a partial ceasefire continue. Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron, co-leaders of efforts to form a “coalition of the willing,” have expressed their willingness to deploy peacekeepers in Ukraine if a full ceasefire between Moscow and Kyiv is reached—an initiative that Russia has strongly opposed.

Macron also suggested that he would initiate talks on extending France’s nuclear deterrence umbrella to cover the entire European Union.

Russia's defense chief, Sergei Shoigu, responded on Thursday, criticizing such proposals as a reflection of “anti-Russian sentiment” in Europe. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov accused European nations of turning into a “war party” and criticized their increasingly militarized stance.

Moscow also took aim at Germany, after Chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz proposed significant increases in defense spending and described Russia’s actions as a “war of aggression against Europe.” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova accused Germany’s political elites of seeking "historical revenge."

EU Summit Highlights
While in Oslo, Zelenskyy addressed a summit of EU leaders in Brussels, where all member nations except Hungary signed a joint statement of support for Ukraine. Speaking via video link, Zelenskyy criticized Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban for obstructing crucial EU decisions, describing his stance as “anti-European” for blocking actions that are important to the continent.

Zelenskyy also urged EU leaders to approve a package worth at least €5 billion ($5.4bn) for artillery supplies for Ukraine and called for sustained pressure on Russia to end the conflict.