US to organize proximity talks between Ukraine and Russia in Saudi Arabia – Kellogg
Photo: Keith Kellogg, Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia (Getty Images)
US officials will hold separate meetings with Ukrainian and Russian officials in Saudi Arabia on Monday, March 24. In this way, Washington wants to organize indirect talks between Ukraine and Russia, said US Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia Keith Kellogg in an interview with American journalist Glenn Beck.
"This week we're putting what we call technical teams in what we call proximity talks in Saudi Arabia," he said.
According to Kellogg, it means that both sides come but remain in separate rooms.
He added that the US side aims to understand the conditions and positions of both Russia and Ukraine regarding a ceasefire within a single day.
"It is shuttle diplomacy between rooms in Riyadh," Kellogg said. He added it remains to be seen whether a comprehensive ceasefire can be achieved.
"That will be the first step towards the end of this war," US Special Envoy said.
Meeting in Saudi Arabia
On March 20, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukrainian and American technical teams would meet in Saudi Arabia on March 24.
The President also mentioned that on the same day, the US would hold a meeting with a Russian delegation in Saudi Arabia. He suggested that these would be parallel negotiations on the same topic.
According to Sky News, the Ukrainian delegation will include Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Pavlo Palisa.
Meanwhile, on March 19, US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce stated that the meeting with Russia in Saudi Arabia would not involve the highest leadership of the two countries.
