Russia and Ukraine announce separate talks with the U.S. in Saudi Arabia on March 24

Delegations from Russia and Ukraine are set to hold separate talks with the U.S. in Saudi Arabia on March 24, officials said on Thursday.

According to Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov, the U.S.-Russia talks will take place in Riyadh and focus on “safety of navigation in the Black Sea.” The consultations were agreed to with U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz on March 19, Ushakov said. The Russian delegation will include Grigory Karasin, the chairman of Russia’s Federation Council Committee on International Affairs, and Sergei Beseda, an adviser to the director of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), he added.

Ushakov’s comments hinted at the possible revival of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, a deal brokered by the U.N. and Turkey in 2022 to allow Ukraine to export grain via its Black Sea ports amid Russia’s full-scale invasion. It expired in July 2023, after the Kremlin announced plans to withdraw from the agreement. 

Also on Thursday, President Volodymyr Zelensky said a Ukrainian delegation will hold another round of talks with U.S. officials in Saudi Arabia on March 24, as well.