Russia indicated on Tuesday that it is willing to negotiate a new Black Sea shipping safety treaty, which could be a path toward a ceasefire with Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov did note, however, that the agreement would only come about through direct action by the United States, claiming that only Washington could pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy into taking action.
Lavrov insisted that previous deals with Kyiv had failed and any deal in the future has to accompany solid guarantees by the US. He argued that Washington accepted this stance and realized its controlling power over Ukrainian military activities. Russia has invariably blamed Ukraine for “terrorist” actions, while Kyiv employed the same term to condemn Russian strikes claiming thousands of lives among civilians ever since the start of the conflict in 2022.
The possible maritime ceasefire would take the place of an earlier Black Sea deal that permitted Ukraine to ship almost 33 million metric tons of grain during the war. Moscow pulled out of that agreement in 2023, citing Western sanctions that had impacted its own food and fertilizer exports. Russia attributed logistical and financial hurdles, while Ukraine accused Moscow of intentionally blocking shipments. Lavrov maintained that an anticipated market for grain and fertilizers was essential and brushed aside Zelenskyy’s trustworthiness in negotiations.
Talks about the new Black Sea initiative were a major agenda in a US-Russian meeting in Saudi Arabia on Monday. The Kremlin confirmed that the two countries were studying the outcomes but would not reveal anything. In the meantime, reports showed that US and Ukrainian officials were set to sit down in Riyadh on Tuesday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin last week turned down a US suggestion for a 30-day truce but said he would stop attacking Ukrainian energy infrastructure. Ukraine has signaled its readiness to join an energy truce if adequate documentation is obtained.
