March 27, 2025 – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Thursday that Ukrainian and US officials will meet in Saudi Arabia next Monday to advance discussions on halting Russian and Ukrainian strikes on energy facilities.
His statement followed the Kremlin’s confirmation that Russian officials would also hold talks with the US in Saudi Arabia on the same day.
The negotiations build on US President Donald Trump’s ongoing efforts to expedite an end to the four-year-long Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“Our technical teams will be present,” Zelenskyy said at a press conference in Norway, referring to planned discussions between Ukrainian and American representatives.
Zelenskyy added that parallel meetings between Russian and American officials would take place, focusing on negotiating the terms of a ceasefire involving a suspension of strikes on energy infrastructure.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aide, Yuri Ushakov, earlier stated that Russia would be represented by Grigory Karasin, chairman of the Senate’s Committee on International Affairs, and Sergei Beseda, an advisor to the head of the FSB security service.
Ushakov confirmed their participation after discussions with US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, stating that both sides had agreed to send “expert groups” to the talks.
The delegations are also expected to discuss “initiatives” previously addressed by Putin and Trump concerning the Black Sea.
In 2014, the Russian FSB acknowledged that Beseda was in Kyiv during a violent crackdown amid Ukraine’s pro-EU revolution.
Beseda has been under Western sanctions since 2014, while Karasin is a seasoned diplomat.