Kremlin: Talks in Riyadh technical, content not to be made public

Sergey Lavrov
Photo: Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service/TASS

The Russian side favors the resumption of the Black Sea Initiative, though in a format more acceptable to all, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with Channel One, TASS reports.

"We support the return of the Black Sea Initiative in some form, better suited to all," he said, adding that this issue was discussed at talks in Riyadh as a priority.

"Our position is simple: we cannot take this man at his word," Lavrov said, referring to Vladimir Zelensky. Russia would like "the market of grain, and the market of fertilizers to be predictable," and for no one to attempt excluding Russia from those markets, the minister noted. Moscow is worried about the situation with food in Africa and other countries of the Global South that have been affected by "the West’s games," he noted.

The Black Sea Initiative, also known as the grain deal, allowed the supply of Ukrainian grain from Black Sea ports and ensured the normalization of exports of Russian agricultural products and fertilizers to global markets. Despite agreements, the West redirected the bulk of Ukrainian grain to its own countries, with the key target of the deal – to supply grain to countries in need – never met. That said, obligations to Russia have not been fulfilled, which is why Moscow withdrew from the deal in July 2023.

Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov
Photo: TASS

Delegations from Russia and the US have conducted technical consultations in Riyadh and sent reports to their respective leaders; the talks’ results will not be published, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said at a news briefing.

"After all, this is about technical talks," the Kremlin official said. "Technical - meaning the talks with getting into details so, certainly, the content of these talks will not be made public for sure. This is something that should not be expected," he explained.

"Currently, the reports made [by the delegations] to their capitals are being analyzed, and only later it will be possible to speak of any understanding," Peskov added.

Earlier, a meeting between Russia and the United States concluded in Riyadh after more than 12 hours of consultations, during which issues related to the resolution of the Ukrainian conflict were discussed. According to a source in the Russian delegation, the parties have agreed on a joint statement, which is to be distributed by the Kremlin and the White House today. The participants did not comment on the outcome of the meeting.

The Russian delegation was led by Grigory Karasin, chairman of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs, and Sergey Beseda, advisor to the director of the Federal Security Service. The US delegation included Andrew Peek, senior director for Europe at the National Security Council, Michael Anton, director of policy planning staff at the State Department, as well as staff from the offices of Keith Kellogg, special envoy for Ukraine, and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz.

Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs Grigory Karasin
Photo: TASS

The meeting held between the Russian and US teams of experts in the Saudi capital on Monday was complex but useful for the two countries, as they managed to discuss multiple issues, Grigory Karasin, Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs, who took part in the negotiations, told TASS.

"[We] discussed everything, and the dialogue was detailed and complex but quite useful for us and for the Americans," the senator recounted. "We discussed numerous issues," he added.

Prior to the talks, Kremlin Aide Yury Ushakov had said the two sides would discuss reviving the Black Sea grain initiative as a follow-up after a recent phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart, Donald Trump.

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