The 12-hour negotiations in Saudi Arabia focused on maritime security in the Black Sea

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is speaking to Channel 1 about this week’s talks between Moscow and Washington on the Ukraine conflict and maritime security in the Black Sea.

The 12-hour negotiations in Saudi Arabia on Monday primarily revolved around restoring the 2022 grain deal, the Black Sea Grain Intiative, which secured Ukrainian food exports via the Black Sea. Russia withdrew from the agreement in July 2023, citing the West’s failure to uphold its part of the deal, including easing sanctions on Russian agricultural exports.

The US has been positive about the outcome of the lengthy talks in Riyadh, according to reports. Grigory Karasin, who took part in the discussions and is chairman of the International Relations Committee in Russia’s Federation Council, described the meeting as “a rich and difficult dialogue” but “very useful for us and for the Americans.”