The White House has seemingly brokered a deal between Russia and Ukraine for a ceasefire in the Black Sea.
Peace talks have been ongoing in Saudi Arabia today, and the White House just announced that Russia agreed to ‘ensure safe navigation, eliminate the use of force, and prevent the use of commercial vessels for military purposes in the Black Sea.’
Ukraine’s defence minister Rustem Umerov said Ukraine has also agreed to the ceasefire.
He added that if Russian military vessels move outside the eastern part of the Black Sea, it would violate the agreement, and allow Ukraine to ‘exercise right to self-defence.’
The Black Sea has been a focal point of the war between Russia and Ukraine, a major shipping corridor on which both Russia and Ukraine have ports and coastlines.
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said earlier today that Moscow was up for resuming – ‘in some form, acceptable to everyone’ – a 2022 deal that allowed Ukraine to ship grain through the Black Sea to countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia where hunger was a growing threat and high food prices had pushed more people into poverty.
The landmark Black Sea grain initiative was brokered by the UN and Turkey in the summer of 2022.
Moscow halted it in July 2023 until its demands to get Russian food and fertiliser to the world were met.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the talks as the early ‘right steps’ toward a peaceful settlement.
‘These are the first steps – not the very first but initial ones – with this presidential administration toward completely ending the war and the possibility of a full ceasefire, as well as steps toward a sustainable and fair peace agreement,’ he said at a news conference.
In a statement today, the White House said: ‘The United States will help restore Russia’s access to the world market for agricultural and fertiliser exports, lower maritime insurance costs, and enhance access to ports and payment systems for such transactions.
‘The United States and Russia agreed to develop measures for implementing President Trump’s and President Putin’s agreement to ban strikes against energy facilities of Russia and Ukraine.
‘The United States and Russia welcome the good offices of third countries with a view toward supporting the implementation of the energy and maritime agreements.’
The agreement is a sharp turn from earlier this week when Vladimir Putin tried to sink a container ship reportedly carrying a cargo of weapons destined for Ukraine.
Two Iskander-M ballistic missiles were unleashed on a Black Sea port in the southern city of Odesa where the vessel had arrived after making a stop in Turkey.
Facilities at the three Black Sea ports around the city have been frequent Russian targets in the three-year-long war.
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