Rescuers and volunteers evacuate a wounded person from an apartment building damaged by a Russian missile strike, Sumy, Ukraine March 24, 2025 (Reuters)

Monday’s Coverage: Kyiv’s “Quite Useful” Talks with US

Map: Institute for the Study of War

UPDATE 2008 GMT:

While welcoming an agreement with the US on a halt to attacks on energy infrastructure and in the Black Sea, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed concern about US-Russia discussions on Moscow’s long-term occupation of Ukrainian territory.

“We are worried when they talk about us without us,” Zelensky told reporters in response to Donald Trump comment, “We’re talking about territory right now.”

The President made clear that Ukraine had no discussions with the US about the future division of territory.

Russia is reportedly demanding control of all of four regions — Donetsk and Luhansk in the east and Zaporizhzhia and Kherson in the south — as well as Crimea. Ukraine’s forces hold part of Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson.

Zelensky said there was no agreement on an unconditional ceasefire because “the Russians didn’t want it”. He believed that, as negotiations continued, “people will not believe the Russians more and more with every day”.

UPDATE 1943 GMT:

Russia has not committed to a ceasefire in the Black Sea announced by Ukraine and the US.

Moscow said in a readout that it will only commit to a halt of attacks if US sanctions are lifted on key financial institutions supporting its food and fertilizer exports — a demand it has made since July 2023, when it ripped up a deal lifting its blockade of Ukrainian ports.

“The United States will assist in restoring Russian agricultural and fertilizer exports to the global market, reducing the cost of maritime insurance, and expanding access to ports and payment systems to conduct such transactions,” the Russians said.

Moscow also demanded the lifting of port service restrictions and sanctions on Russian-flagged vessels involved in the trade of food products and fertilizers.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said any concession would “a weakening of our position on sanctions”, suggesting the US will help Russia improve its economic position while Moscow’s 37-month full-scale invasion continues.

Russia has also refused to hand over the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Europe’s largest complex, in southern Ukraine.

The Foreign Ministry maintained that transfer of control to Ukraine or other countries, or joint operations, is impossible because of concerns over physical and nuclear safety.

Russia seized the plant in the opening days of its February 2022 invasion, and converted it into a military base. The six reactors have been dormant since then.

UPDATE 1633 GMT:

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky says a ceasefire of attacks in the Black Sea and on energy infrastructure is effective immediately.

“If the Russians violate this, then I have a direct question for President Trump. If they violate, here is the evidence — we ask for sanctions, we ask for weapons, etc.,” said Zelensky.

The Kremlin confirmed that it has agreed to ensure safe navigation in the Black Sea and “to develop measures to halt strikes on Russian and Ukrainian energy facilities” for 30 days from March 18.

UPDATE 1626 GMT:

The Ukraine readout of talks with the Trump Administration delegration confirms agreement to a partial ceasefire in the Black Sea.

It adds:

The movement of Russian military vessels beyond the Eastern Black Sea will be considered a violation of the spirit of this agreement….[It will] be considered a violation of the obligations to ensure freedom of navigation in the Black Sea and a threat to the national security of Ukraine.

In such a case, Ukraine will have the full right to exercise the right to self-defense.

The readout emphasizes that “all parties agreed to implement the agreements … on a complete ban on attacks on the energy infrastructure of Ukraine and Russia”.

It stressed the importance of “additional technical consultations as soon as possible to agree on all the details and technical aspects of the implementation, monitoring, and control of the agreements”.

UPDATE 1505 GMT:

The Trump Administration said it has reached agreement with Ukraine and Russia for a partial ceasefire “to ensure safe navigation, eliminate the use of force, and prevent the use of commercial vessels for military purposes in the Black Sea”.

The White House readout said the two countries agreed to “develop measures for implementing” an earlier deal to stop strikes against energy infrastructure, and will “continue working toward achieving a durable and lasting peace”.

Referring to talks with Ukraine, the Administration said it “remains committed to helping achieve the exchange of prisoners of war, the release of civilian detainees, and the return of forcibly transferred Ukrainian children”.

And the text concerned discussions with Russia confirmed assistance for the Kremlin’s desire for “access to the world market for agricultural and fertilizer exports, lower maritime insurance costs, and…access to ports and payment systems for such transactions”.

UPDATE 1427 GMT:

Denmark’s Government has pledged €130 million ($140.6 million) in guarantees for Danish companies investing in Ukraine’s defense industry.

The guarantee will cover up to 70% of Danish companies’ investments in the Ukrainian defense sector.

UPDATE 1417 GMT:

The Ukraine-US talks in Saudi Arabia have concluded.

A Ukrainian official said, “All details will be announced later.”

There has been no joint statement following Monday’s Russia-US talks, as some sources indicated to reporters. However, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has called on the Trump Administration to press Kyiv to accept the Kremlin’s demands.

Speaking about arrangements for the Black Sea, Lavrov said:

We will need clear guarantees. And given the sad experience of agreements with just Kyiv, the guarantees can only be the result of an order from Washington to Zelensky and his team to do one thing and not the other.

UPDATE 1116 GMT:

At least one civilian was killed and 117 injured by Russian attacks across Ukraine over the past day.

Air defenses downed 78 of 139 drones launched by Russia, and 34 were lost to electronic counter-measures.

In Sumy city in northern Ukraine, at least 101 people, including 23 children, were wounded. Twenty-six buildings were damaged, including schools, a kindergarten, a hospital, and 16 residential blocks.

The fatality was in the Kherson region in southern Ukraine. Casualties were reported in the Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava, and Zaporizhzhia regions.

UPDATE 0639 GMT:

The European Union is providing €10 million in funding for independent Ukrainian media.

The EU’s Ambassador to Kyiv, Katarina Mathernova, posted:

We will do everything we can to support independent media — including local and regional media outlets and journalists — so they can continue to deliver truthful information about Russian aggression and resist the pressure of hybrid warfare and disinformation campaigns coming from Russia.

UPDATE 0604 GMT:

A bipartisan quartet of US senators is urging the Trump Administration to transfer more than $300 billion in frozen Russian assets to Ukraine, rather than limiting assistance to interest earned on those funds.

Writing Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the four senators — Republicans Todd Young and Lindsey Graham and Democrats Richard Blumenthal and Tim Kaine — asked, “How does the Administration view using all financial tools at its disposal to increase pressure on Russia to end the war?”

The quartet suggested that Russians assets held by the US and the European Union should be leveraged in negotiations with Moscow.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: Representatives of the Trump Administration and Russia held 12 hours of technical talks on Monday about Moscow’s 37-month invasion of Ukraine.

The discussions in Saudi Arabia followed Sunday’s meetings between the Americans and Ukrainian officials, including Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.

Few details were given. Russia’s emphasis was on the lifting of sanctions affecting its food and fertilizer exports.

Moscow issued the demand as Vladimir Putin ripped up a Black Sea deal in July 2023 and reimposed a blockade trying to choke Ukraine’s food supplies and grain exports. However, Ukraine was able to break the blockade, destroying or damaging 1/3 of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet and establishing a “safe corridor” in the western part of the waterway.

>Putin has held out against implementation of the Ukraine-US proposal of a 30-day interim ceasefire in the air, at sea, and on land. He has agreed only to a pause in attacks on energy infrastucture, but Russia has continued deadly drone and missile strikes on civilian areas.

Early Monday, at least 90 people, including 23 children, were injured by a Russian missile strike on Sumy city in northern Ukraine. More than 30 high-rise buildings, 15 private residences, a school, warehouses, offices, and medical facilities were damaged.

“Russia Is Only Actor Dragging This War Out”

A “White House source” said a “positive announcement” is expected “in the near future”. Asked about their mood after the end of the talks, the Russian delegation told State media, “It’s good.”

Russian negotiator Grigory Karasin wrote on Telegram that the meeting was “interesting, difficult but sufficiently constructive”. He said expert groups will “likely” continue the discussions.

A Russian source said a draft joint statement had been sent to Moscow and Washington for approval, with the parties aiming to release it on Tuesday.

The Trump delegation is scheduled to meet Ukrainian counterparts on Tuesday in Riyadh. It was unclear how the meeting would be related to any joint US-Russian statement.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his nightly address to the nation:

Russia remains the only actor dragging this war out, jeering at both our people and the global community. To push Russia toward peace, we need strong moves and strong actions.

We are ready to support every strong initiative that can make diplomacy more effective—and that means applying pressure to force Russia to want to end this war. That means sanctions. That means support for Ukraine. That means international coordination.