**U.S. and Ukraine Discuss Ceasefire in Saudi Arabia**
The United States and Ukraine held talks in Saudi Arabia on March 23 about a possible ceasefire with Russia. The meeting focused on infrastructure and shipping safety, said Serhii Leshchenko, a Presidential Office advisor.
Leshchenko explained that the two parties discussed a pause on strikes against both Ukrainian and Russian port infrastructure. He said: “We won’t attack their facilities at sea and rivers, and they won’t attack our facilities, our Kherson and Mykolaiv ports, the Greater Odesa ports.”
The talks come after Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed to have ordered a 30-day pause on strikes against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure as part of an agreement with U.S. President Donald Trump on March 18.
**More Talks Planned**
Leshchenko stressed that the Ukrainian delegation remained in Saudi Arabia after the round of talks, explaining that more discussions with the U.S. may follow. The White House reportedly aims to broker a full ceasefire in Ukraine by April 20 in order to achieve a broader peace agreement.
**Other Developments**
In other news, Russian and U.S. delegates are meeting in Riyadh on March 24, with Washington reportedly aiming to push for a ceasefire in the Black Sea. Firefighters continue battling a fire at an oil depot near the village of Kavkazskaya in Russia’s Krasnodar Krai for the fifth day after a drone attack.
Ukraine’s air defenses intercepted 57 of the 99 Russian drones launched overnight, including Shahed-type attack drones. The attacks hit multiple high-rise apartment buildings in the city, causing fires and evacuations. At least two people were killed, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service reported.
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