The results achieved in Saudi Arabia do not look like a quick path to a lasting and sustainable peace. It was indeed a technical round of negotiations, not a political one.

The main conclusion that can be made right now is that Russia is dragging its feet in negotiations and that a quick peace is probably not in the cards.

This round of negotiations can hardly be called a successful one for the following reasons:

◾️It became obvious that Russia is playing for time.

◾️All sides recognized the ceasefire as one already in place but the clear and united understanding of the agreements by all parties was absent. Can this really be called a ceasefire then?

◾️The Kremlin only recognizes preferential conditions for Russia and limitations for Ukraine.

◾️Russia wants to impose its own vision for the "energy ceasefire." In case it takes place, Ukraine will be forced to stop attacking almost all targets that have been successfully attacked by long-range drones in recent weeks and months. But it looks like the ceasefire is not extended to Ukrainian gas production facilities (that Russia keeps attacking).

◾️Russia has refused to consider stopping its strikes on Ukrainian civilian objects (that Putin promised earlier).

◾️Claiming a readiness for a ceasefire at sea, Russians avoid making statements that they will stop their strikes on ports and port cities (like Odesa, for example).

◾️Russia plans to enlist US help in exporting Russian agriculture products and fertilizers. In "exchange" for that, Russians want to have control over the civilian ships en route to Ukraine.

◾️Russia was promised that Europe will remove some of the sanctions off Russia. It is unclear how exactly this will be implemented.

In the "peace talks" with Ukraine and Russia, the United States follow an approach in which the US, as a mediator, makes separate agreements with the Ukrainian and Russian sides. This is a valid approach, and certainly not a novelty for international relations. However, this time an identical and detailed text of the agreement was not approved. Thus, this round of "peace talks" ended without any coordinated joint statements. The US, Ukrainian and Russian "readouts of the results contain significant differences. There was no joint statement.

To summarize: the war continues. Ukraine continues deterring the Russian army that has also intensified its attacks on Ukrainian civilians. Ukraine continues remaining a subject in the negotiations. The voice of Europe needs to be heard in this process.