Correspondence by Dan Alexe // Ukraine: behind-the-scenes negotiations and doubts about reaching a truce by Easter
Russian and Ukrainian officials are set to discuss ending the war during US-brokered talks in Saudi Arabia. It is already known that delegations from Moscow and Kiev will speak to US officials in separate rooms, with talks with Ukraine starting as early as Sunday. However, the Kremlin, whose representatives are due to start talks on Monday, is playing down expectations for a quick resolution to the conflict, warning that “difficult negotiations” lie ahead.
Meanwhile, in London on Monday, Admiral Tony Radakin, the Chief of the Defence Staff, along with other senior military and intelligence chiefs, will welcome their French counterparts to the Ministry of Defence in Whitehall.
The meeting will continue the close military and political cooperation between Britain and France. It will include discussions on the so-called “coalition of the determined” aimed at militarily protecting Ukraine.
The Franco-British meeting in London comes as US officials will meet separately with Russian and Ukrainian representatives in Saudi Arabia this week for talks on a 30-day partial ceasefire for the Easter holidays, which runs until April 20, when Easter Sunday falls in both Western and Orthodox churches.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer proposed the peacekeeping initiative earlier this month, insisting several countries were prepared to enforce a peace deal in Ukraine. So far, however, few concrete details have emerged about the troops and equipment that would be sent to Ukraine.
Senior British military sources on Sunday dismissed the plans themselves, as did Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, who dismissed the plans as “a theatrical posturing.” Steve Witkoff said the idea was based on a “simplistic” notion by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and other European leaders who think “we should all be like Winston Churchill.”
British media revealed last week that RAF fighter jets would patrol the skies over Ukraine under proposals that were discussed by the coalition when 30 nations met at the Permanent Joint Headquarters (PJHQ) in Northwood, west London.
It has been suggested that British Typhoon and French Rafale jets could provide air cover for any ground troops, although the number of troops that could be sent, if any, has not been made clear.
So far, however, neither the Russians nor the Americans have backed the British-led coalition and virtually no one knows what its mission will be.
There are some 700,000 Russians deployed in and around Ukraine and over a million Ukrainians are under arms. It is not clear what an international force of 10,000 based in the west of the country, more than 400 km from the front line, could do.
Whatever the outcome of all this talk, the Kremlin has already made it clear that the “negotiations” (the ones in Saudi Arabia) will be difficult and that it is unlikely, if not impossible, that an agreement will be reached by Easter.
What’s going on in Saudi Arabia?
Rustem Umerov, Ukraine’s defense minister, confirmed Sunday afternoon that talks with the U.S. had begun.
The Ukrainian politician said he expected the talks to focus on proposals to protect energy facilities and critical infrastructure.
The Kremlin added that the resumption of a deal on grain shipments across the Black Sea would be the “main” topic during Monday’s talks with the U.S.
After separate calls with Trump, both Vladimir Putin and Zelensky agreed in principle to halt attacks on energy and civilian infrastructure.
Zelensky had previously agreed to a 30-day ceasefire, but Putin rejected this and, shortly after agreeing to a partial pause in fighting, ordered an attack on Ukrainian energy infrastructure in the Donetsk region.
