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Both sides agreed to end military operations in the Black Sea, the US said (File photo)
Russia and Ukraine agreed to a naval ceasefire in the Black Sea in separate deals with the US after three days of peace negotiations in Saudi Arabia.
Washington said all parties will continue to work towards “durable and lasting peace” in a statement announcing an agreement to resume important trade routes.
They also pledged to “develop measures” to implement a previously agreed ban on attacking each other’s energy infrastructure, the White House said.
However, Russia said the naval ceasefire will only come into effect after many sanctions on its food and fertilizer trade have been lifted.
US officials have met separately with negotiators from Moscow in Riyadh and Kiev. The Russian and Ukrainian delegations have not met in person.
Ukrainian President Voldimir Zelensky said the deal to stop the strike in the Black Sea is a step in the right direction.
“It’s too early to say it will work, but these were the right meetings, the right decisions, the right steps,” he told a news conference in Kiev.
“After this, no one can accuse Ukraine of not heading towards sustainable peace,” he added after President Donald Trump of previously accusing him of blocking the peace deal.
But shortly after Washington’s announcement, the Kremlin said the Black Sea ceasefire would be ineffective until sanctions were lifted from Russian banks, producers and exporters involved in international food and fertilizer trade.
Measures requested by Russia include reconnecting the banks involved to SwiftPay’s payment system, limiting the service of ships under the Russian flag involved in food trade, and supplying agricultural machinery and other goods necessary for the production of food.
It was unclear from a White House statement that intended the agreement to be enacted.
When asked about the lifting of sanctions, Trump told reporters:
A Washington statement on US-Russia talks stated that the US will “help restore access to the global market for Russian agriculture and fertilizer exports.”
Speaking in Kiev, Zelensky described this as “a weakening of position.”
He also said that if Moscow destroys its commitment, Ukraine will promote further sanctions against Russia and more military support from the US.
In his evening speeches to the Ukrainians, Zelensky then accused the Kremlin of lying.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said the “third country” could oversee some of the deal.
However, he warned that the movement of Russian warships across the “eastern Black Sea” would be treated as a violation of the agreement and a “threat to Ukraine’s national security.”
“In this case, Ukraine would have the full right to exercise its right to self-defense,” he added.
In February of that year, a previous arrangement was agreed to allow safe passage of commercial vessels in the Black Sea in 2022 after a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Ukraine and Russia were both major grain exporters, and prices skyrocketed after the start of the war.
The “Black Sea Grain Trading” was introduced to ensure that cargo ships in and out of Ukraine can safely navigate without being attacked by Russia.
The deal has encouraged the movement through the Black Sea for other products needed for food production, such as grain, sunflower oil, and fertilizer.
Originally it was a 120-day period, but after multiple extensions, Russia withdrew in July 2023, claiming that a significant portion of the contract was not in place.
After this week’s talk, the two countries also agreed to “develop measures” to implement a ban on attacks on energy infrastructure on each other’s territories.
The Russian strike against Ukrainian power sources caused widespread power losses during the war, and did not warm thousands of people in the cold winter.
The attack on Ukraine’s nuclear power plants has prompted the UN’s atomic watchdog to be sought for restraint.
Last week, the ban was first agreed in a call between Trump and his Russian Vladimir Putin, but within hours of its announcement, both Moscow and Kiev accused others of violating it.
Earlier on Tuesday, Moscow said peace talks were ongoing in Riyadh while Ukraine continues to target Russia’s private energy infrastructure.
The alleged attacks showed Zelensky “cannot stick to the agreement,” the Russian defense ministry said.
Russia launched a missile strike targeting northeastern Ukraine on Monday, with more than 100 people coming after being injured in Smie city.
On Tuesday morning, Ukraine said Russia fired 139 drones and one ballistic missile overnight.
Up to 30 Russian troops were killed in an air attack on Kursk’s military infrastructure, Kyiv said.
