U.S. and Russia Hold Black Sea Ceasefire Talks Amid Ongoing Strikes on Ukraine

U.S. and Russian officials convened in Saudi Arabia on March 24, 2025, to negotiate a Black Sea maritime ceasefire, aiming to ensure safe navigation and facilitate the free flow of shipping.  This initiative follows U.S. discussions with Ukrainian representatives and occurs amid ongoing drone strikes between Moscow and Kyiv. Despite these talks, Russia launched its third consecutive overnight air attack on Kyiv, injuring one person and damaging nearby houses. Concurrently, Russia reported downing 227 Ukrainian drones within 24 hours, with firefighting efforts continuing in its southern Krasnodar region due to a blaze at an oil depot struck by a Ukrainian drone earlier.  The negotiations, led by senior U.S. National Security Council and State Department officials, and Russian representatives from the upper house of parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee and the Federal Security Service, aim to establish a maritime ceasefire as a precursor to a broader cessation of hostilities in Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasized that the talks are primarily about ensuring the safety of navigation, noting that a 2022 agreement on Black Sea shipping had failed to meet Moscow’s expectations.