Today, the delegations of the United States and Ukraine are set to meet in Riyadh, as reported by two sources familiar with the matter to CNN. The meeting was confirmed by President Volodymyr Zelensky on X. On Monday, a meeting between the American and Russian delegations is scheduled in Saudi Arabia.
Yesterday’s Developments:
A “delicate” issue, still in its early stages of discussion, could potentially hold the key to persuading Moscow to consider the peacekeeper option in Ukraine: Beijing is reportedly considering joining the coalition of willing countries for a potential peacekeeping mission, as revealed by Welt am Sonntag citing European diplomatic sources.
“Chinese diplomats in Brussels have been testing the waters” to assess whether their country’s involvement is desirable for the EU, writes the German newspaper Die Welt, as Western consensus grows on the UN Blue Helmets option.
Looking ahead to Monday, the delegations of Russia, the United States, and Ukraine will return to Riyadh for exclusively indirect talks – in a ‘shuttle diplomacy’ model – to try to add a new piece to the roadmap towards a ceasefire and peace. According to the same European sources cited by Welt am Sonntag, the inclusion of China, one of Russia’s closest partners, “could increase the chances” of the Kremlin accepting the peacekeeper proposal.
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Considering the UN mission is viewed as the most viable option, as it would require the consent of Russia in the Security Council, alongside the United States, France, the United Kingdom, and China, whose weight in the discussions is crucial. However, it remains to be seen whether Kyiv will accept the idea of involving the UN, which is currently rejected as ineffective by Volodymyr Zelensky. The doubts of the Ukrainian president may be clarified on Thursday in Paris, where he will participate in the meeting of the willing leaders – attended by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni – necessary to “finalize” the work on security guarantees for Kyiv.
Meanwhile, all eyes are on Saudi Arabia where a new round of indirect talks between the delegations of Kyiv and Moscow, mediated by the US, is scheduled for Monday. There will be no direct talks between the Russians and Ukrainians, “they will be proximity discussions, somewhat like ‘shuttle diplomacy’ in a hotel,” said Donald Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg. According to Putin’s advisor Yuri Ushakov, the talks will focus on the proposed maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea.
In any case, Moscow expects “at least some progress,” said Grigory Karasin, who will lead the Russian delegation in Riyadh, emphasizing that he and his negotiating counterpart, FSB advisor Sergey Beseda, will adopt a “combative and constructive” approach in the talks. On the other side, a senior Ukrainian official told AFP that Kyiv’s hope is to achieve an agreement “at least” on a partial ceasefire covering attacks on energy, infrastructure, and at sea.
In the midst of these developments are the United States, who, in their role as mediators, do not seem to provide favorable signs to Ukraine. “Zelensky is doing his best,” but “he is facing a nuclear nation with four times the population of Ukraine. So, he needs to know he will be crushed,” said White House special envoy Steve Witkoff bluntly, highlighting in an interview with former Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson that “now is the best time for him to reach a deal. President Trump will offer him the best deal he could ever get.”
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