Russia and the United States will hold talks on March 24 in Riyadh on the possible resumption of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, focusing on the safety of navigation in the Black Sea, Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said.
“Let me remind you that in July 2022, the relevant package agreements were concluded with the assistance and participation of UN Secretary-General António Guterres, but these agreements never fully took effect,” Ushakov was quoted as saying by Meduza, a Russian media outlet.
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The Russian delegation will reportedly be represented by Grigory Karasin, head of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs, and Sergei Beseda, an adviser to the director of the FSB.
US Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff previously announced that US and Russian delegations would also hold separate talks in Jeddah on March 23.
However, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday, March 20, that the final details were still being negotiated and the meeting date could change.
Peskov added that, alongside reviving the grain deal, the talks in Saudi Arabia will also cover broader issues, including aspects of ending Russia’s war against Ukraine.
The Black Sea Grain Initiative, in effect from July 2022 to July 2023, was a UN- and Turkey-brokered agreement facilitating Ukrainian grain exports. Russia withdrew from the deal in July 2023.
In July 2023, Russia torpedoed a crucial UN- and Turkey-brokered deal that ensured safe passage for Ukrainian grain shipments, while intensifying attacks on Ukraine’s port infrastructure.
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A month later, Ukraine launched a “humanitarian corridor” in the Black Sea to bypass Russia’s blockade.
Before its collapse, the agreement had enabled Ukraine to export nearly 33 million tons of grain and other food products over a year, according to AFP.
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