The Kremlin on Tuesday confirmed that no meetings at high-level between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump are in the offing. But they said the meeting could be fixed in a snap if necessary.
"There are no plans for now for a top-level discussion. But in case of necessity, talks can be arranged quickly," Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said at a press conference in Moscow, citing Russia's state-run news agency TASS.
Last week, Putin and Trump had a phone call, during which they reiterated the importance of peace and a ceasefire to end the current conflict in Ukraine. The two leaders were said to have agreed that progress towards peace should start with an energy and infrastructure ceasefire, followed by technical talks for a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea, culminating in a full ceasefire and permanent peace.
In the meantime, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, during an interview with a local TV station, stated Moscow's openness to restoring the Black Sea Initiative but in a new form that would be more palatable to all concerned.
Lavrov reiterated Russia's backing for the return of the initiative under terms more favorable to all stakeholders. He also underscored that the issue was a central concern in Russia-U.S. talks in Riyadh.
"Our stance is obvious: we cannot accept this man on his word," Lavrov said of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. He added that Russia seeks to provide stability in grain and fertilizer markets, highlighting the need for predictability in global food supply chains.
Lavrov had invoked Moscow's interest in food security, especially in Africa and other Global South countries that had been affected by the war.
The Black Sea Initiative, also known as the grain deal, had allowed for the export of Ukrainian grain from ports on the Black Sea while making sure Russian farm products and fertilizers found their way to world markets.
But Moscow had blamed Western countries for siphoning off the majority of the grain shipments of Ukraine to their own countries instead of the ultimate purpose of the agreement to export food to famine-stricken nations. Due to these issues, Russia put on hold its participation in the agreement in July 2023.
While American and Russian delegates opened up a fresh set of talks in Saudi Arabia on Monday with the goal of finalizing a Black Sea ceasefire and making progress towards peace in Ukraine ahead of a general settlement.
The Monday meeting in Riyadh was thorough and effective, reported Russian delegate Grigory Karasin, head of the Federation Council Committee for International Affairs, who attended the talks.
"We had to deal with quite a huge agenda. The negotiations were very intensive, hard, but reciprocal for both nations," Karasin said to TASS.
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