The United States has reported that Ukraine and Russia have reached an agreement for a truce in the Black Sea region.
On Tuesday, the White House issued two distinct statements indicating that both Kyiv and Moscow have concurred to guarantee safe passage, refrain from using force, and prohibit the utilization of merchant ships for military activities within the Black Sea region.
This development follows three days of discussions between the US and the two rival nations in the Saudi Arabian city of Riyadh.
There were no direct discussions involving both Ukrainian and Russian representatives at these meetings.
The nearly indistinguishable statements from the White House regarding Russia and Ukraine indicated that both nations concurred with developing measures to prohibit attacks on energy infrastructure.
The Trump administration subsequently emphasized that "the violence on both sides... needs to end."
The wording of both declarations was mostly the same, with one exception: a part stating that the US was dedicated to assisting Ukraine in achieving the exchange of prisoners of war, releasing civilians who were detained, and returning Ukrainian children who had been forcibly moved.
In the corresponding part of the Russian version, Washington's commitments entailed a pledge to assist in reinstating Russia’s ability to participate in the global markets for agricultural products and fertilizer exports.
Rustem Umerov, Ukraine's defense secretary, turned to X on Tuesday afternoon to elucidate Kyiv's stance on the Black Sea.
The Ukrainian authorities stress that any deployment by Russia of its military ships beyond the eastern region of the Black Sea would be seen as a breach of the agreement’s intent," he noted. "Such actions would also be considered a violation of the pledge to maintain secure navigation in the Black Sea and pose a risk to Ukraine’s national security.
"In this scenario, Ukraine will be entitled to invoke its right to self-defense," he stated.
In the meantime, the Kremlin issued its own statement asserting that the Black Sea accord would take effect solely following the removal of certain Western-imposed limitations.
This encompassed lifting restrictions on Rosselkhozbank and other financial institutions engaged in global trade of food items and fertilizers, according to Moscow.
Queries have arisen regarding the importance of Tuesday’s agreement. Since the onset of its comprehensive assault on Ukraine, Russia has not maintained any military control in the Black Sea region. Meanwhile, the Romanian route has ensured secure transit for commercial vessels.
The Ukrainian navy reports that out of Russia’s initial 80 warships in the Black Sea as of early 2022, at least 27 have been damaged or sunk during the conflict. It was mentioned that around 15 ships could potentially be salvaged and were under repair in early 2024.
Various understandings of what a ceasefire entails
The Trump administration has found it difficult to have both parties agree to a restricted, 30-day truce.
Last week, both Kyiv and Moscow initially endorsed that proposal, but subsequently, they have kept up their assaults on one another using drones and missiles.
Russia and Ukraine have offered different understandings of what a potential partial truce might entail and have clashed over which types of targets should be covered during a cessation of hostilities.
Although the White House indicated that a partial truce should encompass ceasing assaults on "energy and infrastructure," the Kremlin stated that the accord specifically pertained to "energy infrastructure" alone.
The Russian delegation stated that they extensively talked about the prospects of secure maritime traffic in the Black Sea with American authorities.
Moscow stated that it is prepared to restart "in an acceptable manner for all parties," a 2022 agreement enabling Ukraine to export grains via the Black Sea to nations in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. This move comes as rising hunger poses a significant risk in these regions, and soaring food costs have driven additional individuals into poverty.
The significant Black Sea Grain agreement was facilitated by the UN and Turkey during the summer of 2022. Moscow ceased participation the subsequent year Stating that its requirements for getting Russian food and fertilizer distributed globally were not being fulfilled, leading to the collapse of the agreement.