Separate US negotiations with Ukrainian and Russian delegations will begin in Saudi Arabia. According to The Washington Post, these meetings will take place on March 23 and 24, but there is no direct contact between representatives of Kyiv and Moscow.
According to journalists, the main negotiation topics will be safety in the Black Sea and discussing infrastructure. The complete ceasefire is not on the agenda, but some “limited zones” may be reconciled to reduce risks in the region.
From the Ukrainian side, the Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov and the deputy head of the Presidential Office Pavel Palis were involved in the negotiation process.
The Russian delegation will be represented by Senator Grigory Karasin and FSB Director Sergey Beseda.
Michael Anton (State Department Representative) and Kelloga Kelloga's assistants who have experience of negotiation in conflict zones will perform by the US mediators.
On the agenda, the Black Sea is safety and possible agreements on key infrastructure objects. It is known that the introduction of a general ceasefire regime has not yet been considered.
According to preliminary estimates, the parties may agree on the mechanisms of avoiding military incidents in the maritime space and agree on exports of Ukrainian products.
At the same time, Kyiv has repeatedly stated that any agreements should be based on security guarantees and take into account the strategic interests of Ukraine.
These meetings in Saudi Arabia can be another stage in US diplomatic maneuvers aimed at resolving the conflict without direct surrender of Ukraine.
However, security experts suggest that the Kremlin can use these negotiations to distract attention and delay the war, while continuing mobilization measures and increasing resources.
According to The Washington Post, the main question remains - whether Washington's initiative will be able to lead to real changes in the battlefield and in the diplomatic plane.
