Russia, Ukraine to hold separate talks with US in Saudi Arabia amidst uncertainties: expert

Delegations of Russia and Ukraine will hold separate talks on Monday with the delegation of the United States in Saudi Arabia on achieving a ceasefire.

A Chinese expert said that the upcoming talks face significant challenges and uncertainties.

Dmitry Sergeyevich Peskov, press secretary for Russian president Vladimir Putin, said that the next round of Russia-U.S. talks on Ukraine will be held on Monday in Riyadh and the two sides will discuss the Ukraine settlement and the Black Sea initiative.

According to the report of Tass on Saturday, Grigory Karasin, chairman of the committee on international affairs in Russia's upper house, said they are determined to try to resolve at least one issue.

The Ukrainian delegation is also set to hold talks with U.S. representatives in Saudi Arabia. According to AFP, a senior Ukrainian official revealed on Friday that the delegation, led by Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, will engage in "technical discussions" regarding the implementation of any potential truce. Ukraine aims to reach an agreement, and at the very least, it seeks to discuss its ceasefire proposal during the talks in Saudi Arabia.

In an interview with the China Media Group (CMG), Su Xiaohui, deputy director of the department for American Studies of the China Institute of International Studies, shared her views on the talks.

"In Saudi Arabia, the United States will negotiate separately with Ukraine and Russia. In this indirect or parallel negotiation, the United States defines its role as a leader, rather than as a mediator. Recently, the United States has shown its eagerness to stay away from the Russia-Ukraine conflict, hoping to reset relations with Russia. However, achieving that goal by realizing an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine is unrealistic. Therefore, we saw the U.S. propose a temporary 30-day ceasefire. Regarding the so-called peace process, the United States has now further clarified its approach: First, Russia and Ukraine should cease attacking each other's energy and infrastructure. Then, military operations in the direction of the Black Sea should stop, ultimately paving the way for a comprehensive ceasefire. The United States is seeking to make it clear that its approach is in the process of advancing," said Su.

Su noted that the United States is pressuring Ukraine into negotiations to gain greater benefits.

"The United States wants to take the lead, so it is exerting more pressure on Ukraine. On the surface, Ukraine is also a party to this parallel negotiation, but it is clear that Ukraine is forced to come to the negotiating table. On one hand, the United States is asking Ukraine to give up some of its positions in order to meet U.S. demands. In addition, when the leaders of the United States and Ukraine failed to sign the minerals agreement after the clash in the White House, it was evident that the United States is raising its prices. Therefore, in its recent negotiations with Ukraine, the United States not only discussed ceasefire, but also demanding the withdrawal of its previous investment in military assistance to Ukraine for future benefits. In essence, the United States is seeking to further extract Ukraine's interests," Su said.

Su stressed that despite shared interests, the negotiations for a temporary truce between Russia and Ukraine face significant challenges and uncertainties.

"There has been some communication between the United States and Russia regarding a temporary truce between Russia and Ukraine, as well as for a compromise between Russia and Ukraine. In this negotiation process, all parties have found certain common interests. First of all, the United States hopes to promote the so-called peace process. The Ukrainian side also seeks to boost morale and reduce losses, especially as the Ukrainian army is still at a disadvantage on the battlefield, and this dilemma is further exacerbated. So, before the negotiation, the president of Ukraine visited the frontlines in Kharkiv and Donetsk to boost the morale of the Ukrainian army. For Russia, stopping attacks on energy infrastructure could also improve its refining capacity. Despite these common interests, the negotiation process will still be very difficult and full of uncertainties," she said.

There is a significant gap in the interests of the parties, and the negotiation process will be challenging, Su said.

"First of all, fundamentally speaking, there is a clear gap between the interests and demands of all parties. How to conduct a ceasefire and how to supervise and guarantee it? There are some technical problems that need to be solved. More importantly, the Russian side has not softened its negotiating positions and still emphasized that the Western world should stop providing military aid to Ukraine and asked the United States to make adjustments. At this time, for Ukraine, future Western military support is indispensable. The United States has no clear direction in stopping military aid. Therefore, in the future, there will still be a fierce tug of war between the parties regarding the negotiation process and the ultimate goal," she said.

Russia, Ukraine to hold separate talks with US in Saudi Arabia amidst uncertainties: expert

A Chinese envoy on Tuesday called on the Syrian interim authorities to advance an inclusive transition process and take decisive measures to combat terrorism.

The Syrian interim authorities announced the launch of a one-month independent investigation following the indiscriminate killing of civilians in the coastal areas, "the inhumanity and brutality of which is outrageous," Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, said in remarks at a UN Security Council meeting, after the Secretary General's Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen briefed the Security Council on the latest political and humanitarian landscape in Syria.

Stressing that China is following the investigation progress, Fu called on the Syrian interim authorities to carry out their work in a "transparent and responsible" manner.

Nearly 1,500 people, including more than 1,000 civilians, have been killed in the widespread violence in western Syria's Latakia and Tartus provinces since March 6, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The UN Security Council condemned the mass killings of civilians and urged the government to "protect all Syrians without distinction".

Meanwhile, Fu said that China takes note of the recent measures to advance the political transition, calling for the authorities to "earnestly deliver on their commitments" and engage in broad dialogue and consultation with all sectors in the country to achieve genuine inclusiveness. He emphasized that the work of Special Envoy Pedersen should be respected and supported by all parties, the Office of the Special Envoy needs to strengthen its team on the ground, and the League of Arab States can play a greater role in the Syrian political process. 

The ambassador also expressed concern about new terrorist threats in Syria, and underscored the need to preserve the bottom line of countering terrorism.

Following the change in the situation in Syria, foreign terrorist fighters in Idlib have moved across the country, posing an immediate threat to the Syrian people and regional and international peace, Fu said. "They have been involved in the mistreatment and killing of civilians in the coastal areas. This is yet another reminder of the need to remain highly vigilant against the terrorist forces in Syria."

He urged the interim authorities to fulfill their counter-terrorism obligations and to take decisive measures to combat all Security Council-listed terrorist organizations, including the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, also known as the Turkistan Islamic Party.

In addition to political and security concerns, Fu emphasized the importance of improving Syria's economy and livelihoods, which he described as a top priority for the interim authorities. He called on traditional donor countries to increase humanitarian assistance and urged actions to eliminate the negative impact of unilateral sanctions that have exacerbated the country's economic woes.

Reiterating that Syria's sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity should be respected, Fu condemned Israel's airstrikes against Syria and urged it to withdraw from Syrian territory as soon as possible.

"In conclusion, I wish to reiterate that the sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity of Syria should be respected. The Golan Heights is internationally recognized as occupied Syrian territory. The 1974 disengagement agreement should be complied with. China condemns the Israeli airstrikes against Syria. Israel should withdraw from Syrian territory without delay," said the Chinese envoy.

Chinese envoy calls on Syria to advance inclusive transition, combat terrorism