Ex-Ukrainian Diplomat: Ukraine and US Suffered Major Loss in Russia Talks

Recent negotiations between Russia and the United States in Saudi Arabia represented a significant diplomatic loss for both Ukraine and the US, according to Konstantin Eliseev, Ukraine’s former permanent representative to the European Union. In a candid interview with NV on Friday, Eliseev criticized the outcomes of the Riyadh talks, which aimed to revive the suspended 2022 Black Sea grain export agreement.

While Russia expressed willingness to allow safe maritime corridors for Ukrainian grain shipments, it tied its support to the lifting of Western sanctions—specifically demanding the reconnection of the Russian Agricultural Bank to the SWIFT international payment system.

“Some may not want to hear this, but both Ukraine and the United States came out of these negotiations defeated,” Eliseev remarked. “It was a complete loss—5–0, so to speak. We have to be honest about that.”

The former diplomat argued that Ukrainian priorities were sidelined. Chief among his concerns was the lack of security guarantees for Ukraine’s Black Sea ports. “There were no assurances against further attacks on our port infrastructure,” he noted.

Eliseev also pointed to worrying signs of a broader shift toward easing pressure on Moscow. “There are already discussions about possibly lifting some SWIFT restrictions on Russian banks. That sends the wrong message,” he warned.

He further criticized the talks for failing to limit Russia’s naval military capabilities or address Ukraine’s longstanding demand for "all-for-all" prisoner exchange mechanisms—an approach where all captured soldiers are swapped between both sides.

Another critical issue raised was the exclusion of European Union representatives from the discussions. Eliseev claimed that Russia, with tacit American approval, managed to marginalize Ukraine’s European allies. “Unfortunately, our EU partners were effectively kept out of the negotiations,” he said.

Although the Kremlin has made sanctions relief a key condition for supporting maritime cooperation, the European Union has maintained a firm stance. EU officials reiterated that sanctions will remain until Russia fully withdraws from all Ukrainian territories it occupies.

Meanwhile, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent acknowledged that broader discussions on Russia’s role in the global system could take place, hinting that sanctions policy may become part of future negotiations.