Black Sea Initiative renewal central to US-Russia talks in Riyadh, Kremlin says
The Black Sea Initiative is a key topic in ongoing U.S.-Russia talks in Riyadh, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed on March 24, state-owned media outlet TASS reported.
"The matter of the Black Sea Initiative and everything related to the initiative's renewal are on the agenda today," Peskov said. He added that Russian President Vladimir Putin would be immediately briefed on the results of the consultations.
The talks, which began on March 24, are part of U.S. President Donald Trump's ongoing push for a ceasefire and broader peace agreement in Ukraine. U.S. and Ukrainian officials are expected to hold a follow-up meeting after the U.S.-Russia discussions.
A similar arrangement to the one discussed previously existed under the Black Sea Grain Initiative, a 2022 deal brokered by the U.N. and Turkey that allowed Ukraine to export agricultural products via the Black Sea despite the ongoing war.
The agreement helped stabilize global food prices but collapsed in July 2023 when Moscow withdrew. Since then, Russian forces have repeatedly targeted Ukrainian port infrastructure. A Russian ballistic missile struck Odesa's port on March 1, damaging facilities and a Panamanian-flagged civilian ship.
Several other foreign vessels have been hit, including in October 2024, when multiple ships sustained damage in separate Russian strikes.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova downplayed the meeting's expectations, saying the negotiations "should not be expected to produce a breakthrough" and that work is ongoing in "several directions," the pro-state media outlet Kommersant quoted her as saying.
According to Reuters, the U.S. delegation in Riyadh is led by Andrew Peek, a senior director at the National Security Council, and Michael Anton, a senior State Department official.
Russian representatives include Grigory Karasin, the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs chairman, and Sergei Beseda, an advisor to FSB director Alexander Bortnikov.
Karasin later described the talks as proceeding in a "creative way," saying the U.S. and Russian delegations "understand each other's views," the Russian pro-government news agency Interfax quoted him as saying.
The negotiations come amid growing concerns that Moscow is deliberately stalling peace efforts to strengthen its position. The Kremlin claimed last week that it had ordered a 30-day halt to strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure following a phone call between Trump and Putin.
Kyiv supported a mutual halt on energy strikes but later accused Russia of continuing attacks against Ukraine's civilian targets.
On March 21, Russia also accused Ukraine of shelling the Sudzha gas metering station in Kursk Oblast, a key transit facility for Russian gas exports to Europe. Ukraine's General Staff denied the claim, accusing Moscow of staging a provocation.
The U.S. and Ukraine initially supported a broader 30-day ceasefire that would include halting ground operations, but Russia rejected the proposal unless it included conditions undermining Ukraine's defense capabilities, such as a suspension of foreign military support.
The Moscow Times reported on March 24 that Russia is deliberately prolonging peace talks on Ukraine to seize more territory and strengthen its negotiating position with the U.S.
Read also: Trump reportedly growing angry over ongoing Russia-Ukraine aerial strikes
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