American envoys began talks with Russian officials on Monday, a day after meeting with a Ukrainian delegation. The discussions were expected to focus on halting attacks on energy facilities.
Russian officials were holding a round of talks with representatives of the United States on Monday in Saudi Arabia, following a similar meeting a day earlier between American and Ukrainian delegations. The talks are aimed at ironing out details of a possible limited cease-fire in what could be a crucial step toward a full cessation of hostilities in Russia’s war with Ukraine.
Russia and Ukraine both agreed last week to halt strikes on energy infrastructure temporarily, but how and when to put in place that partial truce has yet to be decided as attacks persist.
The meetings — held in Riyadh, the Saudi capital, with American representatives mediating — are expected to focus on hammering out those details and on safety for shipping in the Black Sea.
Dmitri S. Peskov, the Kremlin’s spokesman, said on Monday that the Russian delegation would discuss shipping in the Black Sea and the restoration of a grain deal agreed to in 2022 that allowed millions of tons of Ukrainian grain to be exported. Russia withdrew from the agreement in 2023, saying that Western sanctions were severely limiting its own ability to export agricultural products.
Mr. Peskov added that President Vladimir V. Putin was being kept informed about the discussions and that no additional information would be released publicly while the negotiations take place.
The Russian news agency Interfax reported that Grigory B. Karasin, a senior Russian diplomat and lawmaker who is coleading the Russian delegation, had described the talks as “creative.”