Black Sea talks between the US and Russia begin: They will meet in Saudi Arabia

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Diplomatic contacts initiated by US President Donald Trump continue. Trump has held meetings with the leaders of Russia and Ukraine in recent weeks. It was reported that American and Russian delegations will meet at a meeting to be held in Saudi Arabia. It was noted that the issues of ending the clashes in the Black Sea and achieving a ceasefire in Ukraine will be evaluated during the talks.

It was stated that the US delegation, which made contact with Ukrainian officials yesterday (March 23), will hold a meeting with Russian officials today. In a statement made by the White House, it was emphasized that ending the clashes in the Black Sea would be one of the main agenda items of the meeting. According to the statement, the goal is to open the Black Sea to commercial vessel traffic for coastal countries.

US and Russian officials held talks to achieve a ceasefire in Ukraine. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who previously met in Saudi Arabia, underscored that both sides want to achieve lasting peace in Ukraine

According to a report by NBC News, Trump's National Security Advisor Mike Waltz announced that in addition to a ceasefire in the Black Sea, the control line between Ukraine and Russia would also be discussed at the meeting. In this context, Waltz stated that issues such as verification mechanisms, peacekeeping activities, and maintaining the line at its current borders would be discussed. Waltz added that confidence-building measures, such as the return of Ukrainian children who are said to have been abducted by Russia, are also on the agenda.

A source with knowledge of the talks reported that the US delegation is led by Andrew Peek from the White House National Security Council and Michael Anton from the US Department of State.