Ukraine and Russia may see a greater incentive to prolong war instead of settling for an unfavourable peace deal, an unclassified U.S. intelligence assessment published March 25 found.
"We see how the Russians have already started to manipulate. They are already trying to distort the agreements and actually deceive our mediators and the whole world," President Volodymyr Zelensky said on March 25.
The United States is "looking at" lifting additional sanctions on Russia in order to secure a Black Sea ceasefire agreement, U.S. President Donald Trump said on March 25.
"They sat for 12 hours and seemed to agree on a joint statement, which, however, was not adopted because of Ukraine's position. This is also very typical and symptomatic," Vladimir Chizhov, deputy chairman of the Federation Council Security Committee claimed.
"We are talking about technical negotiations. These negotiations are immersed in details, so, of course, the content of these negotiations will definitely not be published. This is not to be expected," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.
Ukrainian and U.S. delegations are scheduled to meet in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on March 25, AFP reported, citing a source within the Ukrainian delegation.
The international community, including the U.N. and "individual countries," will be involved in the U.S.-Russian talks on ending the war against Ukraine, Russian negotiator Grigory Karasin told state-owned news agency TASS on March 25.
A "positive announcement" is expected "in the near future," a White House source told Reuters following the most recent negotiations between the U.S. and Russia on March 24.
The teams are expected to meet again following initial talks on March 23, an unnamed Ukrainian delegation official said on March 24.
U.S. State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce refused to say whether the Trump administration believes Russia has a legitimate claim to occupied Ukrainian lands. "There's a lot of conversations happening," she said.
A Kremlin-linked official told the Moscow Times that Vladimir Putin cannot afford to lose these territories politically, and Russia intends to solidify its grip on them at any cost.
In any negotiation, one of the most powerful weapons is knowledge. In that regard, Steve Witkoff is willfully disarmed. And it’s playing just right for Russia. The interview that Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy, gave to Tucker Carlson a few days ago revealed a truth that was perceived especially
Key developments on March 24: * Russia, US finish 12-hour-long negotiations in Saudi Arabia * Russian missile strike on Sumy injures 88, including 17 children * 'Important but small operations' — Ukraine reclaims territory near Dvorichna in Kharkiv Oblast, military says * Oil pumping station in Krasnodar Krai shut down due to damage caused by
"Some people are saying the United States should own the power plant...because we have the expertise," Donald Trump said.
Ten years after Kyiv and Moscow first negotiated a ceasefire to end the fighting in Ukraine’s east, the two sides may once again find themselves around the negotiating table to reach a truce on the battlefield. This time around, Kyiv insists that any ceasefire alone will not be enough
Steve Witkoff's controversial comments on the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine have prompted criticism from Ukrainian lawmakers.
"The matter of the Black Sea Initiative and everything related to the initiative's renewal are on the agenda today," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said. He added that Russian President Vladimir Putin would be immediately briefed on the results of the consultations.
A Russian diplomatic source told the Moscow Times that time is now playing in Russia's favor, and the Kremlin wants to "make the most of it."
Over 30 countries have expressed willingness to contribute to the coalition's peacekeeping force, Starmer's spokesperson said on March 17.
"The discussion concerned a mutual ceasefire: we won't attack their facilities at sea and rivers, and they won't attack our facilities, our Kherson and Mykolaiv ports, the Greater Odesa ports," Serhii Leshchenko, a Presidential Office advisor, said on national television.
The meeting, which came a day after talks between the U.S. and Ukraine, was expected to focus on Washington's push for a possible ceasefire in the Black Sea and a potential overall halt on military activity.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the meeting between Ukrainian and U.S. delegations in Saudi Arabia was "constructive and beneficial," with progress made on key issues, in his evening address on March 23.
U.S. National Security Adviser Mike Waltz said on March 23 that the topic of Ukrainian children illegally abducted by Russia will likely be discussed at the peace talks, adding that they will serve as "confidence building measures" for negotiations.
"Russia's systematic and deliberate terror against civilians contradicts its own statements about peace and undermines peace efforts by the US and other partners," Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote on X.
The meeting with a technical team comes a day before the U.S. plans to hold separate meetings with Ukrainian and Russian delegates on March 24
The White House still believes it could achieve a truce by Easter, a symbolic date as both Western and Orthodox celebrations overlap this year, although it's prepared for a delay given the current impasse, sources told Bloomberg.
"The inclusion of China in a 'coalition of the willing' could potentially increase Russia's acceptance of peacekeeping forces in Ukraine," an unnamed EU diplomatic source reportedly told Die Welt.
A U.S. technical team will meet with the Ukrainian delegation in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on March 23, a day before the U.S. plans to mediate "indirect talks" with Ukraine and Russia.
Russian senator Grigory Karasin, who will lead Moscow’s delegation, told local Zvezda TV that he and FSB advisor Sergey Beseda would enter the negotiations with a "combative and constructive" approach.
The Kremlin has revived familiar narratives portraying Ukraine as the aggressor and acting under Western influence, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, who recently emerged as a leading figure in negotiations regarding Russia and Ukraine, revealed insights into ongoing ceasefire talks between Moscow and Washington. In an interview on March 21 with American far-right political commentator Tucker Carlson, Witkoff openly parroted Russian
Ukraine does not know what format the U.S. will use to negotiate with Russia in Riyadh, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said.
(Updated: )
