Contacts with the USA continue at a very intense pace, according to President Vladimir Putin's spokesperson.
And we are satisfied with how pragmatically and constructively our dialogue is developing, and also how efficiently, says spokesperson Dmitrij Peskov according to state-controlled media.
Attacks continue
On the Russian side, the potential agreement is described as a moratorium on attacks on certain facilities, in line with what the Kremlin has proposed instead of the 30-day comprehensive ceasefire plan that Ukraine and the USA initially put forward.
Then, the parties are said to have agreed on a list that makes it clear that they will refrain from attacking facilities and pipelines for oil and gas, power plants, electrical grids, nuclear power plants, and hydroelectric power plants.
Russia has attacked Ukraine with hundreds of drones over the past few nights, causing significant damage to civilian buildings, and it has been documented that at least one power plant has been damaged. But Dmitrij Peskov claims that Russia has refrained from such attacks and asserts that it is Ukraine that continues to attack Russian targets in violation of agreements. He refers to reports from the Russian military about Ukrainian counterattacks on Russian facilities.
Points to sanctions
The talks in Saudi Arabia are said to have largely dealt with a new so-called Black Sea initiative, a new variant of an agreement reached during the first months of the large-scale war, which is intended to enable grain exports across the Black Sea.
However, this can only come into force if the sanctions against Russian agriculture are eased in several ways, according to Russia. Those demands have been pushed in a deceitful way and should not be decisive at all, according to Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyj.
After new extensive drone attacks on Ukraine during the night to Wednesday, he instead called for tightened sanctions to put proper pressure on Russia.
The USA, however, appears to be willing to meet the Kremlin's demands to some extent, although it is not explicitly mentioned as sanctions relief. The White House has announced that the country will "help restore Russia's access to global markets" for agricultural exports and payment systems, as well as alleviate increased insurance premiums for Russian merchant vessels.
