Technical consultations with the United States in Riyadh: shuttle diplomacy

At the end of March - beginning of April 2025, the Russian delegation led by members of the Federation Council held a series of technical consultations with US representatives in Riyadh. The task is to discuss the possibility of a temporary ceasefire, issues of energy security and maritime logistics. Following the consultations, Russian representatives stated that they understood that “negotiations are being conducted in several directions,” but it was not expected that any final decisions would be made. Experts described these meetings as “diplomatic delays”: they give rise to talk about negotiation processes, but in reality they are limited to declarations. For Russia, this is a way to gain time, remove some of the sanctions and international pressure, and show that dialogue is possible. April 2025 showed that although international mediators are trying to launch a negotiation mechanism, Moscow is acting cautiously - without the intention of real de-escalation, while its conditions remain unrealistic for Ukraine and its allies.