After three days of separate talks with both sides, the US on Tuesday, the 25th of March, reached separate agreements with Ukraine and Russia on a cessation of attacks at sea and also pledged to “develop measures” to implement a previously agreed ban on attacks on each other’s energy infrastructure, and Washington agreed to seek the lifting of some sanctions against Moscow after Russia announced that a ceasefire at sea would come into force only after a number of sanctions were lifted, according to Reuters and the BBC.
Washington said in statements on the agreements, which will restore an important trade route, that all sides would continue to work for a “lasting and durable peace”.
US officials are meeting separately in Riyadh with representatives of Moscow and Kyiv. The two delegations have not met and have stated that they will never meet directly.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the agreement to stop attacks in the Black Sea was a step in the right direction.
“It is too early to say that it will work, but these were the right meetings, the right decisions, the right steps,” he told a press conference in Kyiv. “After this, no one can accuse Ukraine of not moving towards a sustainable peace,” he added.
But shortly after Washington’s announcement, the Kremlin said the Black Sea ceasefire would not take effect until sanctions on Russian banks, producers and exporters involved in the international food and fertiliser trade were lifted.
The measures requested by Russia include reconnecting the banks to the payment system SwiftPay, lifting restrictions on the servicing of Russian-flagged ships involved in the food trade, as well as on the supply of agricultural machinery and other goods necessary for food production.
It was not clear from the White House statement when the agreement should enter into force.
ASKED ABOUT THE LIFTING OF SANCTIONS, TRUMP TOLD REPORTERS: “WE ARE THINKING ABOUT ALL THESE SANCTIONS RIGHT NOW. WE ARE LOOKING AT THEM.”
Washington’s statement on the US-Russia talks, however, said that the US “will help restore Russia’s access to the world market for agricultural and fertiliser exports”
Zelenskyy described this as a “weakening of positions”. He also said that Ukraine would demand additional sanctions against Russia and more military support from the US if Moscow failed to honour its commitments. “We do not trust the Russians, but we will be constructive”, he said.
Later in his nightly address to Ukrainians, Zelenskyy said that in his understanding the ceasefire agreements do not require the lifting of sanctions to enter into force and will come into force immediately, describing the Kremlin’s statement as an attempt to “manipulate” the agreements.
Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov said that “third countries” could monitor the implementation of the agreements. But he warned that Russian warships’ movements outside the “eastern Black Sea” would be considered a breach of the agreement and a “threat to Ukraine’s national security”.
“In such a case, Ukraine will have every right to exercise its right to self-defence”, he added.
BNN already reported that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday that Russia would need guarantees that could be provided by Washington ordering Zelenskyy to abide by the said agreement.
Within hours of the statements, both Russia and Ukraine accused each other of drone strikes, but there were no immediate reports of strikes on Black Sea or energy facilities.
If implemented, the agreements could be a significant first step towards Trump’s goal of a broader ceasefire in the war in Ukraine that Russia launched three years ago.
“We’ve made a lot of progress,” Trump told reporters on Tuesday, while adding that there was “tremendous hostility” in the talks between both sides.
Meanwhile, Trump admitted in an interview with Newsmax that Russia might be delaying the end of the war.