Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov announced on Sunday that talks between Ukrainian and U.S. delegations in Riyadh were “productive and focused,” addressing key issues including energy. The discussions took place in Saudi Arabia’s capital and aimed at advancing peace efforts in Ukraine.
In a post on social media platform X, Umerov, who led the Ukrainian delegation, emphasized President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s goal of securing “a just and lasting peace” for Ukraine and Europe. “We are working to make that goal a reality,” Umerov stated.
The Ukrainian delegation included State Secretary of the Foreign Ministry Oleksandr Karasevych, Deputy Heads of the President’s Office Pavlo Palisa and Ihor Zhovkva, and Deputy Energy Minister Mykola Kolisnyk. The meeting in Riyadh comes nearly two weeks after a previous meeting in Jeddah, where Ukraine accepted a U.S.-proposed 30-day ceasefire plan in exchange for the resumption of U.S. military aid and intelligence sharing.
Notably, the talks precede a scheduled meeting between U.S. and Russian delegations set for Monday in Riyadh. Reports indicate that the Russian delegation, including Grigory Karasin, Chairman of the Committee on International Affairs in Russia’s upper house, and Sergey Beseda, adviser to the head of Russia’s Federal Security Service, has already arrived in the Saudi capital.
The series of meetings in Riyadh underscores Saudi Arabia’s role as a mediator in the ongoing conflict, offering a platform for dialogue among the involved parties.
