US-Russia Negotiations Underway in Riyadh Behind Closed Doors

High-level US and Russian delegations have convened for closed-door negotiations at The Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with Saudi state security personnel barring journalists from the premises, Russian state media TASS reported on March 24.

According to Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov, discussions will focus on the potential revival of the Black Sea Initiative, which affects maritime security in the region. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that, beyond grain deal negotiations, the parties will address “nuances” and “aspects” of ending the war.

The Russian delegation is led by Grigory Karasin, chair of the Federation Council’s Foreign Affairs Committee, and Sergey Beseda, an advisor to the FSB director.

A day earlier, on March 23, US and Ukrainian delegations also met in Riyadh. Following the talks, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov described the discussions as “constructive and substantive”, with a particular focus on energy security.

Ukraine’s delegation remains in Riyadh to continue consultations with US officials after the American-Russian negotiations conclude, Ukrainian state broadcaster Rada reported.

This meeting follows the first in-person talks between Russian and American delegations in Riyadh on February 18.

After those discussions, US President Donald Trump called Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to discuss a partial ceasefire and an end to attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. However, no technical framework for the ceasefire was finalized.

Earlier, Special Envoy of US President Donald Trump for Middle East affairs, Steve Witkoff, stated that a complete ceasefire could be achieved within a couple of weeks.