Russia Proposes Limited Truce Ahead of Saudi Arabia Talks with Ukraine and US
Russia has proposed a partial truce that would halt airstrikes on energy facilities but has rejected a US-backed call for a full ceasefire. The proposal comes as Moscow prepares for critical talks with Ukrainian and US officials in Saudi Arabia on Monday.
While the US and Ukraine have jointly advocated for a full and unconditional 30-day ceasefire, Russia has dismissed this idea, instead suggesting a limited halt to aerial attacks on energy sites. Despite this offer, both sides have continued to launch airstrikes in the lead-up to the negotiations.
A recent Russian strike on the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia late Friday night killed a family of three, sparking outrage among Ukrainian officials.
US negotiators are set to engage in what envoy Keith Kellogg described as “shuttle diplomacy” during separate meetings with Ukrainian and Russian delegations in Saudi Arabia. Despite diplomatic efforts and pressure from US President Donald Trump, a breakthrough has yet to be achieved.
Russian senator Grigory Karasin, who will lead the Russian delegation, expressed cautious optimism about the talks. “We hope to achieve at least some progress,” he told the Zvezda TV channel, without specifying the focus of the discussions. Karasin, along with FSB advisor Sergey Beseda, plans to adopt a “combative and constructive” approach during the negotiations.
A senior Ukrainian official revealed that Kyiv aims to secure an agreement on at least a partial ceasefire, covering attacks on energy infrastructure and maritime zones. Ukraine’s defense minister will attend the talks to represent the country’s interests.
Karasin confirmed that the Russian delegation would depart for Saudi Arabia on Sunday and return on Tuesday. However, the choice of Russian negotiators has raised questions, as neither Karasin nor Beseda are part of traditional diplomatic institutions like the Kremlin, the foreign ministry, or the defense ministry.
Karasin is a career diplomat now serving in Russia’s upper house of parliament, while Beseda is a long-time FSB officer and advisor to the security service’s director. Notably, the FSB admitted in 2014 that Beseda was in Kyiv during a violent crackdown on pro-EU protests in Ukraine.
Ukraine has accused Russia of lacking genuine intentions for peace, condemning its ongoing attacks despite Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent claim that he ordered his military to stop targeting Ukrainian energy sites.
In contrast, Steve Witkoff, a US official close to Trump, praised Putin as a “great” leader committed to ending the conflict. Witkoff, who met Putin in Moscow last week, described the Russian president as “straight up” during an interview with right-wing podcast host Tucker Carlson.
Meanwhile, the conflict on the ground remains intense. Russia launched 179 drones at Ukraine in its latest overnight barrage, according to the Ukrainian air force. In Zaporizhzhia, a drone strike killed a family of three, including a 14-year-old girl, when it crashed into their home. An AFP photographer at the scene captured rescue workers sifting through the rubble amid smoke and fog.
In the eastern Donetsk region, Russian strikes on Saturday killed at least two people and injured three others, the local governor reported. Ukraine also carried out drone attacks on Russia, wounding two individuals in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited troops defending the embattled eastern city of Pokrovsk, which Russian forces have been attempting to encircle and capture for months.
As the Saudi Arabia talks approach, the prospects for a lasting resolution remain uncertain, with both sides continuing to engage in hostilities despite diplomatic efforts.
