Ukraine talks continue in Saudi Arabia after Trump envoy praises Putin

Ukrainian negotiators met with US officials in Saudi Arabia Sunday, but a full ceasefire in the region remains elusive. The “technical” discussions focused on a maritime ceasefire to allow shipments of grain and materials through the Black Sea, with the Russian delegation having separate discussions about the same “low-level” issues with US officials on Monday.

While US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff predicted “real progress, particularly as it affects a Black Sea ceasefire on ships between both countries,” leading to a “full-on shooting ceasefire,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov contradicted him, telling Russian state TV on Sunday that “difficult negotiations” await and that “We are only at the beginning of this path.”

Witkoff was also criticized by Western experts for an interview with pro-Trump broadcaster Tucker Carlson that aired Friday, in which he dismissed UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s proposed peacekeeping plan for Ukraine as “a posture and a pose” and repeated several Kremlin talking points, including that Ukraine is a “false country.” Witkoff also said that Russia’s control over five Ukrainian regions – of which he was only able to name two – should be internationally recognized and praised Vladimir Putin as “super smart,” adding, “I don’t regard Putin as a bad guy.”