On Monday, 24 March, the Ukrainian delegation will hold another meeting with the Americans in Saudi Arabia. On the same day, the Russian side will also meet with the Americans there. It will be either shuttle diplomacy: first talks with Ukraine, second with Russia, or parallel talks, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said at a briefing in Oslo.
The topic will be the energy ceasefire. Although Ukraine considers this a step backwards, as it, unlike the Russians, agrees to a complete cessation of shelling and attacks, the president said.
He recalled that Ukraine had initially proposed a ceasefire in the sky and at sea as a first step because it did not believe that the Russians would agree to any ceasefire, and because such a regime was easier to monitor. Ukraine believes that Russia wants to continue the war. But the US side assured us that the Russians wanted the war to end.
Ukraine agreed to a complete ceasefire immediately at a meeting with the Americans in Saudi Arabia, where they made the proposal.
‘I believe this was our first bilateral meeting with such a positive result. What is important is that after that there was contact between the Americans and the Russians. And again, I think they took a step back because they started talking about a partial ceasefire. Look, we are ready to take better steps forward, but in partnership with the Americans, we are ready to take a step back now. And talk about a partial ceasefire,’ he said.
‘Now we are talking about a ceasefire for the security of the energy systems of both countries. That is, without any attacks on energy infrastructure or ‘other civilian infrastructure’.
‘I raised this issue with President Trump and said that our side would prepare civilian infrastructure. That is, I do not want there to be a different understanding of what the parties will agree on at the next meeting in Saudi Arabia. Our technical teams will be there, and I understand that the structure is such that there will be a meeting between Ukraine and America, and then America and Russia. Or it will be parallel meetings in one country on the same topic - which I told you about,’ the president said.
- After Donald Trump's conversation with Putin, US Special Representative for the Middle East Steve Witkoff said that a new meeting between the US and Russian delegations would take place on 23 March, on Sunday. But now it has become known that their meeting has been postponed.