Jeddah, March 19, 2025 – The Europe Today: Diplomatic talks between the United States and Russia are set to take place on March 23 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff confirmed. The discussions, spearheaded by U.S. National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, will focus on key elements of a ceasefire agreement concerning the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, outlined that the talks would address two critical issues: a ceasefire on energy infrastructure attacks and a moratorium on Black Sea firing. While Witkoff did not disclose the Russian officials the U.S. delegation would be meeting with, it remains uncertain whether Ukrainian representatives will be part of the discussions.
“Up until recently, we really didn’t have consensus around these two aspects—the energy and infrastructure ceasefire and the Black Sea moratorium on firing. Today, we got to that place, and I think it’s a relatively short distance to a full ceasefire from there,” Witkoff told Fox News.
The U.S. envoy expressed optimism about Russia’s agreement to these terms, adding that he hoped Ukraine would also consent. In his previous meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Witkoff noted, “We made a lot of progress.”
The announcement comes after a significant development on March 18, when Putin agreed to a 30-day halt on strikes against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure following a phone call with President Trump. The Kremlin confirmed the details of the 1.5-hour conversation, which centered on efforts to bring an end to the war and the U.S. proposal for a ceasefire to facilitate further peace talks.
The upcoming diplomatic meeting in Jeddah represents a critical juncture in the pursuit of a peaceful resolution to the conflict, with both sides now seemingly closer to an agreement.
