Russia-U.S. Talks in Geneva Focus on Black Sea Ceasefire

Russia and U.S. Hold Talks in Geneva

Following a meeting between the United States and Ukraine in Saudi Arabia on Sunday, a new round of talks between Russian and U.S. delegations took place in Geneva on Monday. The discussions, which lasted approximately 12 hours, focused primarily on reaching a ceasefire agreement for the Black Sea region as a steppingstone towards a broader peace accord.

A joint statement summarizing the talks is expected to be released on Tuesday. According to sources familiar with the venue, the U.S. delegation was led by Andrew Peek, a senior director at the White House National Security Council, and Michael Anton, a senior official from the State Department. Representing Russia were Grigory Karasin, chair of the Federation Council's Foreign Affairs Committee and a former diplomat, and Sergei Beseda, an advisor to the director of the Federal Security Service.

These talks follow a week of intense diplomatic activity. Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump held separate phone conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.