Kyiv says U.S. talks in Riyadh were ‘constructive’

CGTN Europe

Ukraine has said it had ‘constructive’ talks with the U.S. in Riyadh as president Donald Trump ramps up efforts to secure a peace deal between Kyiv and Moscow.   U.S. officials also spoke with their Kremlin counterparts on Monday in the Saudi Arabian capital and discussions centered on a separate ceasefire deal in the Black Sea - which policymakers hope will pave the way for a wider deal.    #Ukraine #Russia #US

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00:00Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine's president, described it as useful technical talks.

00:05That's sort of reiterating comments we heard from Rustem Umarov, the country's

00:09defense minister, who described them as productive and focused. And Volodymyr

00:16Zelensky also said that while these were at a technical level, these talks, he once

00:21again reiterated his call for partners to do more to pressure Russia into

00:27halting their airstrikes, something that has been a key demand from Kyiv in the

00:33short and long term. Of course, as we've heard, this proposal for a short,

00:38limited ceasefire would be initially targeted at a cessation of attacks on

00:44things like critical infrastructure. But Volodymyr Zelensky and his team say

00:49they are still working towards what they describe as a just and lasting peace.

00:54To achieve that, Kyiv is urging their allies to do more to provide assistance.

01:00Now, this is where a huge sticking point certainly remains. And while Moscow and

01:05Kyiv seem to be willing to at least agree to a cessation to strikes on critical

01:12infrastructure, the two sides seem far apart on any kind of a broader ceasefire

01:18arrangement. Moscow say that foreign allies must stop supplying Kyiv with

01:24military assistance for any kind of meaningful ceasefire to take hold. Kyiv

01:28says exactly the opposite is needed. Important to note that in Paris, a so-called

01:33coalition of the willing is assembling to discuss potential efforts to help with

01:38any conceivable ceasefire arrangement and what allies can do for Ukraine to

01:43assist with that in the future. So all eyes will be on that later on in the

01:48week. But for now, the message from Kyiv is very clear that allies must put the

01:52pressure on Moscow.

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