After two days of peace talks in Saudi Arabia, Russia and Ukraine have each reached an agreement with the United States to implement a naval ceasefire in the Black Sea. Washington, in its announcement of the deals, emphasized that all parties would continue efforts toward a "durable and lasting peace," with the agreements aiming to reopen a crucial trade route.

 

The White House also confirmed that both nations had committed to working on measures to enforce an existing ban on targeting each other’s energy infrastructure. However, Russia made it clear that the naval ceasefire would only take effect once certain sanctions affecting its food and fertilizer trade were lifted.

 

 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged the significance of the agreement, describing it as a positive development. "It is too early to say that it will work, but these were the right meetings, the right decisions, the right steps," he said at a press conference in Kyiv. He further stated, "No-one can accuse Ukraine of not moving towards sustainable peace after this," responding to previous criticisms from US President Donald Trump, who had accused him of obstructing a peace deal.

 

Despite the announcement from Washington, the Kremlin was quick to clarify that the ceasefire would not be enacted until restrictions were lifted on Russian banks, producers, and exporters involved in global food and fertilizer trade. Russia's conditions include the reconnection of key banks to the SwiftPay system, the removal of restrictions on servicing Russian-flagged ships engaged in food trade, and the lifting of barriers to supplying agricultural machinery and other essential goods for food production.

 

The timeline for when the agreement would take effect remained uncertain, as the White House statement did not specify a start date. When questioned about the possibility of lifting sanctions, Trump responded, "We're thinking about all of them right now. We're looking at them."

 

Meanwhile, Washington confirmed its commitment to assisting Russia in regaining access to global markets for its agricultural and fertilizer exports.

Later in his nightly address, Zelensky accused the Kremlin of being dishonest in claiming that the ceasefire depended on the removal of sanctions.

 

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov noted that "third countries" could oversee certain aspects of the agreement. However, he also issued a stern warning, stating that any movement of Russian warships beyond the "eastern part of the Black Sea" would be considered a violation of the deal and a "threat to the national security of Ukraine." He added, "In this case, Ukraine will have full right to exercise right to self-defense."

 

Both Russia and Ukraine play a vital role in global grain exports, and the conflict has led to significant price increases since the start of the war.

 

Based on a report by BBC  2025-03-26

 

 

3 hours ago, Social Media said:

the Kremlin was quick to clarify that the ceasefire would not be enacted until restrictions were lifted on Russian banks, producers, and exporters involved in global food and fertilizer trade.

So no agreement then.