Ceasefire Talks on Russia-Ukraine Conflicts to Begin on Sunday
March 19, 2025 Hour: 7:34 am
The U.S. delegation in Saudi Arabia would be led by Marco Rubio and Mike Waltz.
On Tuesday, Steve Witkoff, U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy to the Middle East, revealed that ceasefire talks on Russia-Ukraine conflicts are scheduled for Sunday in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah.
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The U.S. delegation in Saudi Arabia would be led by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, said Witkoff, during an interview with Fox News, hours after a phone talk between Trump and the Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Witkoff said that a ceasefire on energy infrastructure and targets in the Black Sea is “now agreed by the Russians,” and he is “hopeful that the Ukrainians will agree to it.” “It’s a relatively short distance to a full ceasefire from there,” he said.
Washington has been pushing for a 30-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine to lay the foundation for a wider settlement of the three years of conflicts.
On Wednesday, Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev likened Russian-U.S. talks on Ukraine to a dinner menu, describing the European Union, France, Britain and Ukraine as courses on the table.
“The phone call between Presidents Putin and Trump proved a well-known idea — there is only Russia and the U.S. in the dining room. On the menu: light appetizers — Brussels sprouts, British fish and chips and Paris rooster. The main course is a Kiev-style cutlet. Enjoy your meal!!” Medvedev posted on the social media platform X.
Previously, at a panel discussion during the Munich Security Conference in 2024, then U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told the attendees: “If you’re not at the table in the international system, you’re going to be on the menu.”
Putin and Trump on Tuesday discussed ceasefire plans to end the Ukraine crisis during a phone call, among other issues including bilateral relations and various international topics. The Russian leader agreed to halt strikes on energy infrastructure for 30 days.
Both presidents also agreed to launch technical negotiations on conducting a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea, as well as on a full ceasefire and permanent peace in Ukraine. Russia emphasized that a key condition for resolving the conflict should be “the complete cessation of foreign military aid and intelligence sharing with Kiev.”
teleSUR/ JF
Source: Xinhua