Russia said on Tuesday it was ready to sign a new agreement on the safety of navigation in the Black Sea. Such an agreement could serve as a possible springboard for a ceasefire with UkraineHowever, Moscow has made this initiative conditional on one requirement: that the United States order President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to accept the agreement.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said only such an order would provide the guarantees Russia needs.
Each side has criticized the other for the collapse of an earlier agreement. That deal, agreed in 2023, was meant to ensure the safety of commercial shipping in the Black Sea. It was established after Russia sent tens of thousands of troops to Ukraine in February 2022.
“We will need clear guarantees. And given the sad experience of agreements with Kiev alone, guarantees can only be the result of an order from Washington to Zelenskiy and his team to do one thing and not the other,” Lavrov said in televised remarks.
“And it seems to me that our American partners have received this signal. They understand that only Washington can achieve positive results in stopping terrorist attacks, stopping bombing civilian infrastructure, energy infrastructure not related to the military-industrial complex.”
Russia frequently accuses Ukraine of “terrorist” actions and Kiev has used similar language in response to Russian strikes that have killed thousands of civilians in Ukraine during three years of war.
Concerns about the US role and Trump's impact
Furthermore, Lavrov’s comments indicated that Russia will require further US pressure on Zelenskiy before agreeing to a maritime ceasefire. According to Washington, such a ceasefire would be an important step towards a more comprehensive truce.
On the other hand, Zelenskiy and Trump had a disastrous meeting at the White House last month. Given this, Kiev and its European allies fear that Trump may strike a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin. If that happens, the potential deal could cave in to Russian demands and undermine Ukraine’s security.
Successor to the Black Sea Agreement
The maritime ceasefire under discussion would be a successor to the earlier Black Sea agreement. That agreement allowed Ukraine to safely export almost 33 million tons of grain. All of this occurred despite the war.
Moscow withdrew in 2023, saying its own food and fertilizer exports faced serious problems due to Western sanctions affecting payments, logistics and insurance. Kiev had previously accused Russia of obstructing the initiative.
Lavrov said the grain and fertilizer markets needed to be “predictable.” He said Russia could not take Zelenskiy at his word, an accusation Zelenskiy has often leveled at Putin.
The Black Sea initiative was a priority for discussions at a meeting between US and Russian officials in Saudi Arabia on Monday, Lavrov added.
The Kremlin said earlier on Tuesday that both Russia and the United States were reviewing the outcome of the talks, but details would not be released.
Source: Dmitry Antonov and Mark Trevelyan | Notícias Agrícolas
