The United States is engaging in what’s known as ‘shuttlecock diplomacy’ as it holds separate meetings with Ukrainian and Russian delegations to explore a possible ceasefire in the ongoing Ukraine-Russia war.

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On 23 March, a Ukrainian delegation is set to meet with a US technical team in Riyadh. The following day, 24 March, the US will then hold separate talks with a Russian negotiating group, which is being led by a former FSB chief who reportedly played a central role in planning President Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed on Thursday that his country’s representatives would meet with US officials in Saudi Arabia and provide a list of key energy infrastructure sites they believe should be excluded from Russian attacks. The US team would then relay this information during its subsequent meeting with the Russian delegation.

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This diplomatic method, where one party carries messages between the opposing sides without them sitting down face to face, is known as shuttle diplomacy, or sometimes ‘shuttlecock diplomacy’.

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What is shuttlecock diplomacy?

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Shuttle diplomacy is a negotiation strategy used when direct contact between conflicting parties is either difficult or impossible due to tension, mistrust, or political complications. An outside intermediary, often a diplomat, moves between each side, carrying proposals, responses, and demands.

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This method became widely recognised in the 1970s when then US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger used it to help mediate the Arab-Israeli conflict by flying between Jerusalem and Cairo to broker peace deals.

In the current context, the US appears to be taking on that intermediary role between Ukraine and Russia, especially with the added complexity of neither side showing willingness for direct negotiations.

Despite this effort, both Russia and Ukraine have previously rejected the White House’s version of earlier discussions, casting doubt on claims by Donald Trump that a swift ceasefire is within reach. Trump, who has voiced his desire for a quick resolution to the war, may have overstated the progress made during past US-brokered talks.

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(With inputs from agencies)