Russia hopes to make “some progress” in peace talks with Ukraine at a meeting in Saudi Arabia on Monday, a senior Russian negotiator has said.
US negotiators will meet separately with Ukrainian and Russian delegations in Saudi Arabia on Monday, in what US envoy Keith Kellogg described as “shuttle diplomacy” between hotel rooms.
Despite the flurry of diplomacy and pressure 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 said.
He said he and fellow negotiator, FSB advisor Sergey Beseda, would take a “combative and constructive” approach to the talks.
A senior Ukrainian official said a day earlier that Kyiv hopes to secure an agreement “at least” on a partial ceasefire covering attacks on energy, infrastructure, and at sea. Kyiv is sending its defense minister to the negotiations.
“We are going with the mindset to fight for the resolution of at least one issue,” Karasin told Zvezda, which is owned by Russia’s defense ministry.
He said they were leaving for Saudi Arabia on Sunday and would return on Tuesday.
