The U.S. and Russia are expected to release a joint statement Tuesday morning after discussions in Saudi Arabia aimed at achieving a Black Sea maritime ceasefire deal, sources familiar with the matter told CBS News.
The statement is scheduled to be out at 4 a.m. in Washington, D.C., and 11 a.m. in Moscow, two of the sources said.
While the details of the statement were not immediately clear, reports shared with the Trump administration from the U.S. technical team in Riyadh seemed optimistic, the sources said.
Ukrainian officials have also been briefed, one of the sources said.
A Russian negotiator told the state TASS news agency Tuesday that Moscow would continue “useful” talks with the U.S. over the Ukraine conflict and would seek to involve the U.N. and other nations, according to the French news agency AFP.
Grigory Karasin was quoted as saying, “We talked about everything, it was an intense dialogue, not easy, but very useful for us and the Americans,” adding that “lots of problems were discussed” during 12 hours of negotiations in a luxury hotel in Saudi Arabia.
A previous deal brokered by the U.N. and Turkey, which Russia exited in 2023, had allowed for maritime shipping in the Black Sea, allowing both countries to export grain.
U.S. officials meeting with Russian officials include the State Department’s Michael Anton and the White House National Security Council’s Andrew Peek.
National Security Advisor Mike Waltz said Sunday on “Face The Nation with Margaret Brennan” that a ceasefire on aerial infrastructure went into effect immediately after President Trump’s call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Next on the agenda was a maritime ceasefire to allow the movement of grain, fuel, and other goods, he said.
“And then we’ll talk the line of control, which is the actual front lines, and that gets into the details of verification mechanisms, peacekeeping, freezing the lines where they are. And then, of course, the broader and permanent peace,” Waltz said.
Although separate talks have been ongoing between U.S. officials and both Ukrainian and Russian officials, the two warring countries continue to launch attacks at each other.
