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.
Karasin, chairman of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs, took part in talks with the U.S. in Riyadh on March 24 and described the meeting as a broad but "difficult dialogue."
"Many problems were discussed. Of course, not everything was resolved, not everything was agreed upon," the Russian official added.
The talks, which were said to focus on a possible renewal of the Black Sea Initiative, are part of the Trump administration's broader efforts to negotiate a ceasefire in Ukraine. The Black Sea Grain Initiative was brokered by the U.N. and Turkey in 2022 to ensure navigation safety but broke down after Moscow withdrew a year later.
Karasin noted that the discussions will continue with the involvement of "the international community, first of all, the United Nations and individual countries." The official did not specify which countries would be included and in what capacity.
U.S. President Donald Trump's return to the White House marked a major shift in Washington's foreign policy. The temporary pause in military and intelligence support for Ukraine and the embrace of Moscow's talking points among Trump administration officials are causing concern in Kyiv and among European partners.
The U.K. and France are spearheading the so-called "coalition of the willing" to provide Kyiv with security guarantees, including a potential deployment of peacekeepers, amid the uncertainties of the continued U.S. support. French President Emmanuel Macron is reportedly considering a peacekeeping mission under the auspices of the U.N., a proposal rejected by President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The Kyiv Independent
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