This coming Monday, the United States and Russia will begin very important bilateral discussions in Saudi Arabia. Their immediate aim is for the UN to facilitate a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea. Key cabinet members from each country are spearheading the talks. Their priorities are to see that commercial shipping traffic continues uninterrupted across the region. We appreciate that the White House recognizes that efficient transportation networks are key to the movement of goods and resources. This is especially important as we keep global trade flowing.
At the front of the U.S. delegation is Andrew Peek, a senior director at the White House National Security Council. He is followed by Michael Anton, then a senior official at the State Department. Grigory Karasin, their Russian counterparts—with very few exceptions—the most seasoned of their Russian counterparts. Sergei Beseda is currently an adviser to the director of the Federal Security Service. As the discussions continue, the U.S. is pushing for a full ceasefire to be agreed upon by April 20. Large gaps between Kyiv and Moscow’s demands might push this timeframe back further.
Yet the conversations taking place in Saudi Arabia are a signal of deeper efforts to achieve at least a partial, frozen-in-place ceasefire in Ukraine. Along with the maritime issues, stand-alone sessions will discuss long-range strikes against energy assets and other civilian infrastructure. In a related story, Russia has agreed to suspend attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure for a month. This move follows growing international pressure to lessen the impact on civilians and civilian infrastructure.
What these talks mainly focus on is the Black Sea. Participants are particularly interested in preventing attacks so that commercial shipping routes remain safe and open. The U.S. is pushing for an agreement that would permit Ukraine to export grain from its ports without fear of attack. According to regional analysts and journalists, Moscow has shown willingness to restart a past agreement that guaranteed similar safe passages for Ukrainian grain exports.
The possible settlement hinges on several key terms. Allies need to cease intelligence sharing and military support for Kyiv. This provision is still a major sticking point that threatens to derail the negotiations’ success.
These negotiations follow a day after constructive discussions between Ukrainian and U.S. delegations in Saudi Arabia, signaling a concerted effort to de-escalate tensions and find a diplomatic resolution.