By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Ukrainian and U.S. officials on Sunday started conversations on proposals to safeguard energy facilities and critical infrastructure, Ukraine’s defence minister said, as part of a diplomatic push by U.S. President Donald Trump to end three years of war between Kyiv and Moscow.
The meeting in Saudi Arabia, which precedes talks on Monday between the U.S. and Russian delegations, came as U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff expressed optimism about the chances of ending Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War Two.
“I feel that (Russian President Vladimir Putin) wants peace,” Witkoff told Fox News on Sunday.
“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 that the United States was discussing a range of confidence-building measures aimed at ending the war, including 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.
The narrowly defined ceasefire was soon cast into doubt as both sides reported continued strikes.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, facing continued advances by Russian troops in eastern Ukraine, has backed Trump’s call for a blanket 30-day ceasefire.
