RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — U.S. negotiators met with Russian representatives on Monday in an effort to broker a partial ceasefire in Ukraine’s three-year-long war, following separate discussions with Ukrainian officials a day earlier. The talks, held in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, come as efforts to establish a limited 30-day ceasefire continue to face significant hurdles, with both Moscow and Kyiv engaged in ongoing drone and missile attacks.
A key sticking point in negotiations is defining which targets should be off-limits. Despite direct conversations between U.S. President Donald Trump and the leaders of Russia and Ukraine, disagreements persist. The White House has stated that energy and infrastructure would be covered under the ceasefire agreement, but the Kremlin insists the protection applies only to energy infrastructure. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has pushed for additional safeguards for key transit networks, including railways and ports.
The negotiations in Riyadh are expected to address these differences, as well as discuss a potential pause in attacks in the Black Sea to protect commercial shipping.
As discussions unfold, hostilities persist on both sides. Ukraine remains open to Trump’s proposal for a full 30-day ceasefire, according to officials. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin has tied any agreement to Kyiv halting its military mobilization and Western arms shipments—a demand that Ukraine and its allies have rejected.
In an interview on “Fox News Sunday,” U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff expressed optimism about the talks, stating he expects “real progress” and that an initial pause in Black Sea attacks could eventually lead to a full ceasefire.
Amid speculation that China might deploy peacekeeping forces to Ukraine as part of a potential ceasefire enforcement, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun dismissed the reports on Monday, calling them “completely false.” Speaking at a press briefing, Guo reaffirmed China’s neutral stance, emphasizing that Beijing continues to support a diplomatic resolution.
China has provided economic and diplomatic support to Russia, particularly through energy trade, but has refrained from supplying weapons or military personnel. However, China maintains close ties with North Korea, which has deployed troops to aid Russian forces.
A large-scale cyberattack struck Ukraine’s state railway operator Ukrzaliznytsia on Sunday, temporarily disrupting its online booking system. The company announced on Telegram that train operations remained unaffected despite the attack.
“The railway continues to function despite both physical and cyberattacks. These efforts will not stop us,” Ukrzaliznytsia said in a statement.
Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces reported on Monday that they destroyed four Russian military helicopters in the Belgorod region using U.S.-supplied HIMARS rocket systems. The Ukrainian military shared drone footage of the attack on Telegram, stating that the strike targeted a concealed launch site used by Russian aircraft for surprise attacks.
Meanwhile, a Russian missile strike hit the northern Ukrainian city of Sumy, damaging residential buildings and a school. Regional authorities confirmed that students were being evacuated at the time of the attack, preventing any casualties among children. However, the prosecutor’s office reported that 65 people were injured, including 14 children.
Ukraine’s air force stated that Russian forces launched 99 drones in overnight attacks, 57 of which were intercepted.
AP
