Egypt Daily News – A senior member of the Russian Senate told a Russian news agency that Moscow and the United States did not adopt a joint statement after 12 hours of talks in Saudi Arabia on Monday “due to Ukraine’s stance.” Meanwhile, Russian strikes on Ukraine left dozens dead and wounded during the negotiations.
The Russian news agency Interfax reported on Tuesday that a senior Russian senator stated that Moscow and Washington failed to reach a joint statement after the lengthy discussions in Saudi Arabia, attributing this to Ukraine’s position.
Talks focused on a limited ceasefire proposal
U.S. and Russian officials concluded a day-long discussion on Monday centered on a narrow proposal for a ceasefire at sea between Kyiv and Moscow, as part of a diplomatic effort Washington hopes could pave the way for broader peace negotiations.
Vladimir Chizhov, a prominent Russian senator, told the state-run Russia 24 television channel, “The fact that they sat for 12 hours and apparently agreed on a joint statement, which was ultimately not adopted due to Ukraine’s position, is quite telling and significant.”
Continued meetings and U.S. involvement
Last week, Russia rejected a proposal from former U.S. President Donald Trump for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine, agreeing only to a temporary halt in attacks on energy infrastructure.
Trump stated on Monday that other issues were also on the table, saying, “We are currently discussing territories. We are talking about border demarcation, energy, and ownership of power stations.”
Ongoing strikes during negotiations
As the talks took place in Riyadh, Ukraine and Russia continued their attacks. Kyiv reported that a Russian missile strike injured at least 88 people, while Moscow accused Ukraine of carrying out a deliberate attack that killed journalists and their driver.
Intensified Russian strikes
Meanwhile, the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy was hit by a Russian missile strike that injured at least 74 people, including schoolchildren who survived because they were in a shelter.
This attack prompted Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga to strongly criticize Moscow, stating that Russia “talks about peace while continuing to launch brutal strikes on densely populated areas in our major cities.”
Sibiga emphasized, “Instead of making empty statements about peace, Russia should stop bombing our cities and end its war against civilians.”
Trump’s Efforts to End the War
During these talks, which the White House described as part of President Trump’s efforts to “end a war that has been ongoing for three years,” a Ukrainian delegation participated in side meetings with U.S. officials in the Saudi capital. According to Saudi television, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov arrived in Riyadh, signaling the possibility of additional consultations with Kyiv after the conclusion of discussions with the Russian side.
Russia’s Firm Stance on Key Demands
Politically, Soner Cagaptay, a researcher at the Washington Institute, stated that Moscow appears to be holding firm to its long-standing demands, including Ukraine halting its pursuit of NATO membership and the withdrawal of Kyiv’s forces from four regions that Russia claims to have “annexed” since the start of the war.
While Trump expressed his “satisfaction” with the progress of the negotiations, European capitals remain cautious about any potential breakthrough, given Russia’s unchanged stance on several key issues, including border demarcation and the ownership of power stations.
Continued Attacks Amid Diplomacy
As these developments unfolded, Kyiv and surrounding areas were hit by airstrikes for the third consecutive night. Russian authorities claimed the strikes “targeted military sites,” stating that 227 Ukrainian drones were shot down in the past 24 hours.
Meanwhile, in southern Russia, firefighters in the Krasnodar region were struggling to extinguish a fire at an oil storage facility that had been struck by Ukrainian drones days earlier, according to Moscow’s account.
