Talks in Jeddah on a ceasefire agreement in Ukraine amid US optimism

US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, announced on Tuesday that talks aimed at establishing a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine will continue on Sunday in the Saudi city of Jeddah.

In an interview with Fox News shortly after Trump had a lengthy phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Witkoff said that ceasefire talks will begin on Sunday in Jeddah.

The envoy explained that the US delegation to these talks will be headed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, however, Witkoff didn’t clarify with whom the US delegation would hold talks.

Putin and Trump agreed on Tuesday during a 90-minute phone call to a limited truce in Ukraine, limited to energy facilities.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Tuesday his support for a 30-day ceasefire with Russia, including a ban on targeting energy facilities.

However, he stressed the need to obtain details from Washington, accusing Putin of seeking to weaken Ukraine.

Moscow announced its agreement to halt strikes on energy facilities in Ukraine for 30 days, describing the conversation between the two presidents as detailed and frank.

In addition to halting attacks on Ukraine’s energy sector, the White House also discussed technical negotiations on a naval ceasefire in the Black Sea, a comprehensive ceasefire, and a lasting peace.

In his interview with Fox News, Witkoff was asked whether this truce included energy facilities exclusively or all other infrastructure.

He replied, “No, it includes energy and infrastructure in general”.

Regarding the truce’s inclusion of the Black Sea as well as energy facilities, Witkov said, “I think the Russians have agreed to both now… I’m certainly optimistic that the Ukrainians will agree to this”.

The US envoy also praised the Russian president for everything he did during that call to bring his country closer to a final peace agreement.

He added that, given the agreement to include energy facilities, infrastructure, and other targets in the Black Sea in the truce, he believes that reaching a full ceasefire isn’t far off from what was agreed upon.

Meanwhile, Moscow announced early Wednesday that a fire broke out at a fuel depot in Krasnodar after the Russian region, located east of the border with Ukraine, was bombed by explosive drones launched by Kyiv forces.

Russia’s Emergency Services Coordination Office said a fire broke out near the village of Kavkazskaya after debris from drones shot down by Russian air defenses fell.

It noted that 105 emergency and rescue teams responded to the disaster, but no injuries were immediately reported.

This drone attack came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin of effectively rejecting a US proposal for a complete ceasefire after Russian missile strikes hit Ukrainian civilian facilities, including a hospital.

“Unfortunately, there were strikes, particularly on civilian facilities,” Zelensky said via Telegram, including one on a hospital in the northern city of Sumy, and other attacks, particularly in Kyiv.

Zelensky didn’t mention any attacks on energy infrastructure after US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin agreed on Tuesday to a 30-day truce in Ukraine that includes these facilities.