Russia and Ukraine have agreed to “eliminate the use of force” in the Black Sea following parallel talks with US negotiators in Saudi Arabia, though Moscow insists implementation depends on receiving sanctions relief for its agricultural exports, according to a report by The Guardian.
The agreement marks a potential breakthrough in the three-year conflict, though fundamental issues regarding territorial control remain unresolved and tensions persist over the negotiation process itself.
Both parties also committed to extend a previously announced 30-day moratorium on energy infrastructure attacks and expand its scope, according to statements released by the White House.
US President Donald Trump said Washington was reviewing Russian conditions that could lead to the first significant lifting of sanctions since Moscow’s 2022 full-scale invasion.
“They will be looking at them, and we’re thinking about all of them right now,” Trump told reporters. “There are about five or six conditions. We’re looking at all of them”.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed progress on the maritime agreement but expressed concern about potential sanctions relief and what he described as bilateral US-Russia discussions about Ukraine’s territorial future.
“We are worried when they talk about us without us,” Zelenskyy said during a media briefing, responding to Trump’s earlier comments that “We’re talking about territory right now”.
The Kremlin stated the maritime ceasefire would only take effect after “lifting of sanctions restrictions” on the Russian Agricultural Bank and other financial institutions involved in international trade of food, including reconnection to the Swift international payment system.
According to the Russian statement, the US would “assist in restoring Russian agricultural and fertiliser exports to the global market, reducing the cost of maritime insurance, and expanding access to ports and payment systems”.
Reports indicate Russia has communicated to US negotiators its desire for full control of three partially occupied Ukrainian regions: Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson—claims consistently rejected by Kyiv.
Ukraine’s defence ministry issued a separate statement warning it would consider “the movement of Russian military vessels beyond the eastern Black Sea” a violation of the agreement, reflecting Ukraine’s success in gradually pushing Russian naval forces eastward through sea drone operations.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told Russian state media that Moscow’s interest in grain and fertiliser market stability was driven by profit considerations and “concern about the food security situation in Africa and other countries of the Global South”.
The agreement would initially be self-policed, though both sides have indicated openness to international monitoring. Zelenskyy acknowledged Ukraine’s distrust of Russian commitments but expressed willingness to engage constructively in ending the conflict.
“The American side really wanted all of this not to fail, so they did not want to go into many details,” Zelenskyy said, adding that Ukraine would seek further clarification in ongoing discussions.
Zelenskyy also criticised comments by Trump’s personal envoy to Putin, Steve Witkoff, who had described Russia’s staged referendums in occupied Ukrainian territories as legitimate. The Ukrainian president expressed hope that US negotiators would eventually recognise what he characterised as Russian insincerity.
Regarding the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which Trump has expressed interest in taking control of despite its frontline location, the Russian foreign ministry reportedly stated it could not be transferred to Ukraine “or any other country”.
Both sides have agreed to continue working “toward achieving a durable and lasting peace,” according to the White House statements, with further negotiations expected soon.
(information from The Guardian)