American and Russian officials engaged in discussions in Saudi Arabia on Monday, aiming to broker a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea as a precursor to a broader peace agreement in Ukraine. The talks unfolded while Kyiv and Moscow intensified their drone warfare, striking each other overnight.
The negotiations followed Sunday’s U.S.-Ukraine talks in Saudi Arabia and came after Russia launched its third consecutive night of air raids on Kyiv, injuring one civilian and damaging homes in the surrounding area. Meanwhile, Moscow reported that it had downed 227 Ukrainian drones in the past 24 hours, as fires raged for a fifth day at an oil depot in Russia’s Krasnodar region, hit by a Ukrainian drone strike last week.
Diplomatic Push for Ceasefire
U.S. President Donald Trump has ramped up efforts to end the three-year war, holding separate talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin last week.
The White House stated that the Saudi discussions aimed to secure a maritime truce in the Black Sea to ensure safe shipping routes. While the region has not been a major battleground in recent months, the ceasefire talks could serve as a stepping stone for broader negotiations between the warring parties.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed the focus on maritime safety, noting that a 2022 Black Sea shipping deal had failed to meet Moscow’s expectations.
The move towards a targeted ceasefire in the Black Sea represents a narrower approach compared to the 30-day comprehensive truce proposed by the U.S. earlier this month. This suggests that Russia may not yet be prepared to agree to a wider cessation of hostilities.
Black Sea Tensions and Ukraine’s Resilience
Since 2022, Ukraine has inflicted heavy losses on Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, forcing Moscow to relocate some of its warships from Crimea’s Sevastopol base.
Despite ongoing Russian strikes on Ukrainian ports, Ukraine has continued to export grain, iron ore, and other commodities through the Black Sea from its main Odesa-region ports, maintaining trade levels comparable to those before the war.