Ukrainian and US officials initiated discussions on Sunday regarding proposals to protect energy facilities and critical infrastructure, according to Ukraine's defense minister. This comes as part of a diplomatic effort by U.S. President Donald Trump to end the ongoing war, now entering its third year.
The meeting, held in Saudi Arabia, precedes U.S.-Russia talks scheduled for Monday. The U.S. delegation's involvement in the discussions follows optimistic comments by U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, who expressed hope for a resolution to Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II. Witkoff told Fox News on Sunday, "I believe (Russian President Vladimir Putin) wants peace."
"I think that you're going to see in Saudi Arabia on Monday some real progress, particularly as it affects a Black Sea ceasefire on ships between both countries. And from that, you'll naturally gravitate into a full-on shooting ceasefire."
Separately, White House National Security Adviser Mike Waltz said on Sunday the United States was talking through a range of confidence-building measures aimed at ending the war, including on the future of Ukrainian children taken into Russia.
Announcing the start of the Riyadh talks, Ukraine's Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, who is heading his country's delegation, said on Facebook: "We are implementing the President of Ukraine's directive to bring a just peace closer and to strengthen security."
Putin agreed last week to Trump's proposal for Russia and Ukraine to stop attacks on each other's energy infrastructure for 30 days, but that narrowly defined ceasefire was soon cast into doubt, with both sides reporting continued strikes.
A large-scale Russian drone attack on Kyiv overnight killed at least three people, including a 5-year-old child, causing fires in high-rise apartment buildings and damage throughout the capital, Ukrainian officials said on Sunday.
Meanwhile Russian authorities said on Sunday that their air defences had destroyed 59 Ukrainian drones targeting the country's southwestern regions, adding that the strikes had killed one person in Rostov.
