Russia and the United States will hold discussions in Riyadh on Monday to ensure the security of maritime transport in the Black Sea. Russian presidential foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov confirmed this information, as reported by British news agency Reuters.
Following recent advances by Russian forces in Ukraine, US President Donald Trump has shifted Washington’s policy. He has initiated bilateral talks with Moscow and urged Kyiv to take steps toward ending the war by suspending US military aid to Ukraine.
Earlier, US representative Steve Witkoff stated that the Russia-US meeting was set to take place in Jeddah on Sunday. However, Ushakov clarified that the meeting will be held in Riyadh on Monday and will focus on implementing a well-known initiative to ensure maritime security in the Black Sea.
Russia will be represented by Grigory Karasin and Sergei Beseda. Karasin currently chairs the Russian Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, while Beseda serves as an advisor to the Federal Security Service (FSB).
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the Black Sea initiative over a phone call on Tuesday. The initiative, originally brokered by Turkey and the United Nations in July 2022, aimed to facilitate Ukraine’s grain exports. However, Russia withdrew from the agreement a year later, citing obstacles to its own food and fertilizer exports.
The White House reported that during their March 18 conversation, Trump and Putin agreed to technical discussions on achieving a military ceasefire and establishing lasting peace in the Black Sea.
According to the World Bank’s October 2024 report, there were no significant risks associated with Black Sea shipping. However, its April report noted that despite the ongoing war, both Russia and Ukraine continue to export grain to global markets, with no major negative impact resulting from the collapse of the Black Sea initiative.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began in early 2022, leading to thousands of casualties and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people. The conflict in eastern Ukraine initially erupted in 2014 when Russia-backed forces began fighting against the Kyiv government and subsequently annexed Crimea.