Ceasefire talks on Russia-Ukraine conflicts to begin Sunday, says US envoy

WASHINGTON -- Ceasefire talks on Russia-Ukraine conflicts are scheduled for Sunday in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah, a US envoy said Tuesday.

The US delegation in Saudi Arabia would be led by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, said Steve Witkoff, US President Donald Trump's envoy to the Middle East, during an interview with Fox News, hours after a phone talk between Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin.

Witkoff said that a ceasefire on energy infrastructure and targets in the Black Sea is "now agreed by the Russians," and he is "hopeful that the Ukrainians will agree to it."

"It's a relatively short distance to a full ceasefire from there," he said.

Washington has been pushing for a 30-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine to lay the foundation for a wider settlement of the three years of conflicts.