US, Russian negotiators launch ceasefire talks in Saudi Arabia

The Ritz-Carlton hotel in Riyadh where US mediated talks are underway to to reach a ceasefire. Pic/AFP

US and Russian negotiators on Monday sat down for talks in Saudi Arabia on a partial ceasefire in Ukraine, hours after a round of negotiations between US and Ukrainian negotiators, Russian news reports said.

The state Tass and RIA-Novosti news agencies said the negotiations began in Riyadh. The meeting is expected to be followed by another contact between US and Ukrainian teams.

The separate meetings are set to discuss details of a pause in long-range attacks against energy facilities and civilian infrastructure and a halt on attacks in the Black Sea to ensure safe commercial shipping.

Ukraine and Russia agreed in principle Wednesday to a limited ceasefire after US President Donald Trump spoke with the countries' leaders, but the parties have offered different views of what targets would be off-limits to attack.

While the White House said energy and infrastructure would be covered, the Kremlin declared that the agreement referred more narrowly to energy infrastructure.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he would also like railways and ports to be protected.

Russia launched a barrage of drones across Ukraine overnight into Sunday that killed at least seven people, including a father and his 5-year-old daughter in Kyiv.

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