Latest news with #Beseda
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Who is Sergey Beseda, Russian spy handler leading talks with US?
Sergey Beseda, former head of the 5th Service of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB), was an unconventional choice to represent his country in the talks with the U.S. in Saudi Arabia on March 24. Seventy-year-old General Beseda, however, has been deeply involved in Russia's all-out war against Ukraine from the very beginning. He is thought to have played one of the key roles in keeping Russian President Vladimir Putin informed about the situation in Ukraine ahead of the full-scale invasion. Based on the intelligence provided by the 5th Service, the Russian authorities were confident that the Russian army would not meet serious resistance in Ukraine, the Russian investigative outlet IStories reported early in the all-out war. The data provided by Beseda's 5th Service turned out to be inaccurate in many ways. Soon after, Beseda allegedly faced backlash but wasn't written off. Last summer, he resigned from his post and now serves as an advisor to FSB Head Aleksandr Bortnikov. The Russian delegation is also spearheaded by Grigory Karasin, 75, a Russian senator and career diplomat who is a staunch supporter of Moscow's all-out war against Ukraine. Both officials are under Western sanctions. The talks in Riyadh have reportedly focused on Washington's push for a possible ceasefire, including one at sea. Ukraine's Military Intelligence Chief Kyrylo Budanov described Beseda as 'a very problematic person for Ukraine.' When asked who among Russian generals is the most dangerous for the country, Budanov was undecided but said that Beseda 'has always brought problems to Ukraine.' 'He is a very problematic person. He has done a lot of evil for Ukraine. It is fine, time will sort everything out,' Budanov said in an interview with Ukrainska Pravda in the fall of 2023. Read also: What were the Minsk Agreements and why did they fail to bring peace in Ukraine? Beseda has been a career intelligence officer for most of his life, beginning his work in the FSB predecessor — Soviet KGB. He led the 5th Service for 15 years, taking office in 2009 and being ousted in 2024. Beseda's name made headlines in 2014. He was present in Kyiv from Feb. 20 to 21, during the bloodiest days of the EuroMaidan Revolution. Between Feb. 18 and 20, around 100 protestors were gunned down, and hundreds were injured by law enforcement loyal to pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych. Valentyn Nalyvaichenko, the former head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), said that Beseda was based at the SBU training ground. 'Russia's military involvement essentially started not in Crimea, but with the events on Maidan (Independence Square), by the interference of Russian generals in the events in Ukraine,' Nalyvaichenko said. According to Nalyvaichenko, Beseda was commanding Ukraine's law enforcement during their attack on protestors. Facing outrage in Ukraine, the FSB admitted in 2014 that Beseda was in Kyiv during the revolution, claiming that he was sent to determine the 'level of protection' of the Russian Embassy in Ukraine and 'other Russian institutions' in the city. Last year, Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office concluded that the murders were carried out by Ukrainian law enforcement officers under the orders of Ukrainian authorities and Russia's guidance. Ukraine's State Bureau of Investigation charged FSB's Chief Bortnikov and other 20 top officials of Russian special services with the obstruction of protests during the revolution. In his memoir, former U.S. Ambassador to Moscow John Sullivan wrote that Beseda was also involved in talks on a prisoner exchange between the U.S. and Russia in 2021. FSB's 5th Service, led by Beseda for years, is officially in charge of the agency's relations with foreign partners and gathering information in former Soviet republics, including Ukraine. The Washington Post (WP), citing its sources, reported in 2022 that the FSB 'has spent decades spying on Ukraine,' trying to infiltrate its institutions, bribing officials, and preventing any shift towards the West. There were reports that Beseda had been arrested after the failed swift conquest of Ukraine, but Moscow did not officially confirm this information. Russian journalist Andrey Soldatov claimed that he was charged with embezzling funds allocated for subversion in Ukraine. According to Budanov, Beseda was 'suspended' from his duties for some time but was soon back on track. Budanov said that as of the fall of 2023, the FSB general was actively involved in operations against Ukraine. 'He continues to work and is a very serious enemy of our state,' he said. After the first round of the U.S.-Russia talks, the Washington Post outlined a draft document prepared by a Moscow think tank that worked closely with the 5th Service. The document reportedly laid out Russia's maximalist demands for ending the war, including a buffer zone in northeastern Ukraine along the borders with Bryansk and Belgorod oblasts and a demilitarized zone in southern Ukraine. The document, drafted in February, further calls for "the complete dismantling" of Ukraine's current government and says that peace is unlikely before 2026. It is unclear what — if any — role this document plays in the Kremlin's decision-making. Read also: 'They are Russian-speaking, and there have been referendums,' — Witkoff parrots Russian propaganda, legitimizing Putin's claims in Ukraine We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Factbox-Spy and diplomat head Russian team at Ukraine talks with US in Riyadh
(Reuters) - A veteran of Russia's FSB security service and a former long-serving diplomat are representing Russia at the latest round of talks with the United States over Ukraine, taking place on Monday in Saudi Arabia. SERGEI BESEDA Beseda, 70, is currently an adviser to FSB chief Alexander Bortnikov. From 2009 to 2024 he was head of the FSB's 5th service, which runs agents in former Soviet countries and was therefore closely involved, experts say, in intelligence preparations for Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Beseda's position appeared precarious after Ukraine fought back much more strongly than expected and Russia's initial assault on Kyiv was beaten back, but he remained in his post. Former U.S. ambassador John Sullivan wrote in his memoir that Beseda also took part in negotiations with the United States in 2021 on exchanging prisoners held in each other's jails. That is still a live issue in Russia-U.S. ties, with at least 10 Americans behind bars in Russia now. GRIGORY KARASIN Karasin, 75, is a career diplomat whose past roles include deputy foreign minister and ambassador to Britain. He is now a member of the Federation Council, the upper house of Russia's parliament, and chairs its international affairs committee. Both he and Beseda have been placed under Western sanctions.
Asharq Al-Awsat
23-03-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Kellogg Describes Monday's Talks in Saudi Arabia as Shuttle Diplomacy Between Hotel Rooms
With 48 hours remaining before separate US-mediated talks between Ukraine and Russia in Saudi Arabia, both sides have expressed hope for progress toward a potential ceasefire in the three-year-long war. US negotiators will meet separately with the Russian and Ukrainian delegations on Monday in what US envoy Keith Kellogg described as shuttle diplomacy between hotel rooms. Moscow stated that it hopes for some progress in the negotiations, according to Russian negotiator Grigory Karasin, who spoke to a state television channel. Meanwhile, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on Saturday that Ukraine is striving for peace more than any other country and is working with US and European partners to achieve it. Despite diplomatic efforts and pressure from US President Donald Trump, achieving a breakthrough remains difficult. Karasin, speaking to Russia's Defense Ministry-affiliated Zvezda TV channel, expressed cautious optimism, stating that he and fellow negotiator Sergey Beseda, a senior official in Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB), are approaching the talks with a constructive and positive attitude. A Ukrainian official told Agence France Presse that Kyiv hopes the negotiations will lead, at the very least, to a halt in attacks on energy facilities, infrastructure, and Black Sea ports by both sides. The Russian delegation is expected to arrive in Saudi Arabia on Sunday and return home on Tuesday. The choice of Russian negotiators has raised questions, as neither Karasin nor Beseda comes from traditional diplomatic institutions such as the Kremlin or the foreign and defense ministries. Karasin is a former diplomat and current senator in Russia's upper house of parliament, while Beseda is a high-ranking FSB officer. The FSB admitted in 2014 that Beseda had been in Kyiv during the violent suppression of pro-European protests. According to Ukraine's Foreign Ministry, Monday's talks in Saudi Arabia between Ukrainian and US representatives will primarily focus on technical aspects of a potential limited ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhyistated that the meeting aims to set standards for the various ceasefire options currently on the table. Tykhyi confirmed that Ukraine had agreed to a US proposal for a full 30-day ceasefire and once again blamed Russia for failing to implement any form of truce. However, he added that Ukraine has no information about the separate negotiations between the US and Russia in Saudi Arabia, emphasizing that Kyiv is only preparing for its discussions with the American representatives. Sybiha will not travel to Saudi Arabia, but Defense Minister Rustem Umerov is expected to participate in the talks. Discussions will focus on a US proposal to ensure the safety of maritime navigation in the Black Sea by implementing a limited ceasefire in designated maritime areas.
Khaleej Times
23-03-2025
- Politics
- Khaleej Times
Russia hopes for 'progress' at Saudi talks, says negotiator
Moscow is hoping to achieve "some progress" at talks in Saudi Arabia on Monday, a Russian negotiator told state media before the United States meets Ukrainian and Russian delegations separately in a bid to halt the three-year conflict. US envoy Keith Kellogg described the effort as "shuttle diplomacy" between hotel rooms. Ukraine will meet the US mediators first, with President Volodymyr Zelensky saying he was "prepared" for Sunday's talks. A separate meeting between US and Russian officials in the Gulf kingdom is scheduled on Monday. Moscow has rejected a joint US-Ukraine proposal for a full and unconditional 30-day ceasefire, countering with a suggested pause on aerial attacks on energy facilities. Both Moscow and Kyiv have continued exchanging strikes in the run-up to the negotiations. On Friday night, a Russian strike on the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia killed a family of three, triggering anger among Ukrainian officials. Russia also launched drone attacks on Kyiv that hit apartment buildings and caused fires, killing at least two people, Ukraine's emergency service said early Sunday. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said Sunday a "massive attack by enemy UAVs" caused falling debris in several districts of the city, wounding seven. Russia's defence ministry said it had "destroyed and intercepted" 59 Ukrainian drones overnight, mostly over the regions of Rostov and Astrakhan. Despite the flurry of diplomacy and push from US President Donald Trump, a breakthrough has so far proved elusive. "We hope to achieve at least some progress," Russian senator Grigory Karasin, who will lead the Russian delegation, told the Zvezda TV channel, without specifying on what issue. He said he and fellow negotiator, FSB advisor Sergey Beseda would take a "combative and constructive" mood into the talks. A senior Ukrainian official told AFP a day earlier that Kyiv hopes to secure agreement "at least" on a partial ceasefire covering attacks on energy, infrastructure and at sea. Kyiv is sending its defence minister to the negotiations. "We are going with the mood to fight for the solution of at least one issue," Karasin told Zvezda, which is owned by Russia's defence ministry. He said they were leaving for Saudi Arabia on Sunday and would return on Tuesday. Drone barrage Russia's choice of negotiators for the talks has raised questions. Both are outside of traditional diplomatic decision-making institutions such as the Kremlin, foreign ministry or defence ministry. Karasin is a career diplomat who now sits in Russia's upper house of parliament, while Beseda is a long-time FSB officer and now an advisor to the security service's director. The FSB in 2014 admitted that Beseda was in Kyiv during a bloody crackdown in the Ukrainian capital in the midst of the country's pro-EU revolution. Ukraine has accused Russia of not genuinely seeking peace and condemned its ongoing attacks, despite Russian President Vladimir Putin saying on Tuesday he had ordered his army to stop targeting Ukrainian energy sites. In contrast, a US official close to Trump, White House envoy Steve Witkoff, has praised Putin —whom he met in Moscow last week — as a "great" leader seeking to end the conflict with Kyiv. "I thought he was straight up with me," Witkoff told an American right-wing podcast host, Tucker Carlson, in an interview that aired Friday. "I don't regard Putin as a bad guy. That is a complicated situation, that war, and all the ingredients that led up to it," Trump's envoy said. Russia fired 179 drones at Ukraine in its latest overnight barrage, the Ukrainian air force said Saturday. In the southern city of Zaporizhzhia, an entire family, including a 14-year-old girl, was killed when a drone crashed into their house Friday, the regional authorities said. An AFP photographer at the scene of one strike saw rescue workers sifting through the rubble of a destroyed building, as smoke and fog hung in the night air. In the eastern Donetsk region, Russian strikes on Saturday killed at least two people and wounded three, according to the local governor. Zelensky meanwhile said he had visited troops fighting to defend the embattled eastern city of Pokrovsk, which Russia has been trying to encircle and capture for months.
Jordan Times
22-03-2025
- Politics
- Jordan Times
Russia hopes for 'progress' at Saudi talks: negotiator
Huge letters reading "We are together" in the colours of the Russian flag and a poster with a Z letter - tactical insignia of Russian troops in Ukraine, sit outside the US embassy in Moscow on March 19, 2025 (AFP photo) MOSCOW — Moscow is hoping to achieve "some progress" at talks in Saudi Arabia on Monday, a Russian negotiator told state media on Saturday, ahead of US officials holding separate talks with Ukraine and Russia on a possible ceasefire. Moscow has rejected a joint US-Ukraine proposal of a full and unconditional 30-day ceasefire, instead suggesting just to halt aerial strikes on energy infrastructure. The US will hold parallel talks with the Ukrainian and Russian delegations on Monday in a bid to secure a breakthrough. "We hope to achieve at least some progress," senator Grigory Karasin told the Zvezda TV channel, owned by Russia's defence ministry. He said he and fellow negotiator, FSB advisor Sergey Beseda had a "combative and constructive" mood ahead of the talks. Russia's choice of negotiators has raised questions, with the two figures outside of traditional diplomatic decision-making institutions like the Kremlin or the foreign and defence ministries. Karasin is a career diplomat who now sits in Russia's upper house of parliament, while Beseda is a long-time agent at Russia's FSB security service. The FSB in 2014 admitted that Beseda was in Kyiv during a bloody crackdown in the Ukrainian capital in the midst of the country's pro-EU revolution. "We are going with the mood to fight for the solution of at least one issue," Karasin told Zvezda. He said they were leaving for Saudi Arabia on Sunday and would return Tuesday.
