U.S. holds back-to-back meeting with Ukraine and Russia

Welcome to Within The Frame where we bring the most pressing issues across the globe into focus, I'm Kim Mok-yeon.

The U.S. is stepping up as a global mediator, juggling high-stakes diplomacy on two major fronts.

Over the weekend, American officials held back-to-back ceasefire talks in Saudi Arabia—first with Ukraine on March 23rd, then a 12-hour meeting with Russia on the 24th.

The discussions led to a joint statement with Moscow, on reviving the Black Sea grain deal and halting attacks on critical infrastructure.

The Trump administration is looking to target April 20th—Easter Sunday—as a symbolic deadline for a partial ceasefire.

Meanwhile, in the Middle East, Israeli forces have pushed deeper into Gaza following the collapse of ceasefire talks with Hamas.

Concerns are mounting as Israeli leaders now say full occupation may be necessary to defeat Hamas—marking a significant policy shift.

For more on the situation in the Middle East, we invite Robert Lawrence, Assistant Professor at Dongduk Women's University. Welcome.

Also joining us is Lim Eun-jung, Professor of International Studies at Kongju National University. Great to have you.

(LAWRENCE) 1. Let's start with Prof. Lawrence, so on March 23rd, the U.S. and Ukraine held talks in Riyadh ahead of the scheduled trilateral ceasefire discussions.

Then on the 24th, the U.S. met separately with the Russian delegation. How significant are these back-to-back meetings in shaping the partial ceasefire plan?

(LIM) 2. Now to Prof. Lim, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, described the talks with Washington as "productive and dense."

Meanwhile, the U.S. delegation has indicated they are aiming to freeze frontline activity and re-initiate grain exports via the Black Sea. How do you assess the latest discussions?

(LIM) 3. Now to Washington's talks with Moscow, the two sides held a very lengthy 12-hour meeting in Saudi Arabia the following day. They also agreed on a joint statement. We hear that the resumption of the Black Sea agreement was top on the agenda. What could/did the joint statement entail? Could you explain Moscow's stance for our viewers?

(LAWRENCE) 4. Unlike a three-party negotiation, the U.S. is conducting shuttle diplomacy—meeting Ukraine and Russia separately.

Prof. Lawrence, what are the strategic reasons behind this structure, and what does it suggest about the level of trust—or lack thereof—between Moscow and Kyiv?

(LAWRENCE) 5. As for the outcome, there are reports that the Trump administration has set April 20th—Easter in both Catholic and Russian Orthodox calendars—as a symbolic target for a ceasefire deal. Is this timeline realistic?

(LIM) 6. Prof. Lim, given that the previous full ceasefire attempt failed, the current 30-day partial ceasefire focuses only on halting attacks on energy and infrastructure.

Do you think this narrow scope still builds momentum toward lasting peace?

(LIM) 7. Let's turn briefly to the Middle East. With the Israel-Hamas ceasefire talks collapsing, the Israeli military has now deployed troops into both northern and southern Gaza. Are we now seeing the start of a full-scale ground invasion?

(LAWRENCE) 8. Amid this, Israeli leadership, including Prime Minister Netanyahu and his top security aides, reportedly believe that fully occupying parts of Gaza is the only way to defeat Hamas. Prof. Lawrence, how significant is this shift from Israel's previous stance of weakening Hamas through pressure and installing a new governing body?

(LIM) 9. Prof. Lim, with both military operations intensifying and ceasefire negotiations collapsing, where is the Gaza conflict heading in the short term? Is there any diplomatic off-ramp left?

(LAWRENCE) 10. So the U.S. is now mediating high-stakes negotiations in both Ukraine and Gaza. Prof. Lawrence, how is this shaping Washington's role—and credibility—as a global peace broker? Can it realistically sustain influence on both fronts?