The Kremlin says that Russian and US officials are meeting to discuss a “new agreement” to implement the limited Black Sea ceasefire. Moscow has said some sanctions relief is key to the success of the deal.
According to the Russian state outlet TASS, “Moscow and Washington are discussing the terms of a new agreement to relaunch the Black Sea initiative.” “[Russia and the United States are considering] a new agreement, whose framework is currently being discussed,” Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Thursday.
The Black Sea Initiative was first implemented in July 2022 to allow for commercial shipping through the war zone. After a year, Moscow withdrew from the agreement, saying Western sanctions were preventing Russian exports.
A US-brokered deal was announced on Tuesday that would allow commercial shipping to resume in the Black Sea, as well as Ukraine and Russia halting attacks on energy infrastructure. After the deal was announced, TASS quoted a Russian official saying the lifting of “restrictions on port servicing of ships and sanctions on ships under the Russian flag, engaged in food (including fish) and fertilizer trade” was a condition for resumption of the Black Sea Initiative.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected the idea of removing some Russian ships and companies from Western blacklists. “The idea of a ceasefire in the Black Sea – Russia is trying to impose its conditions on our partners, but these conditions are unrealistic. Lifting sanctions from Russia now would be a disaster for diplomacy,” he said at a meeting of European leaders.
“We cannot take steps towards them until they really change. Sanctions must remain in place as long as the aggression and occupation continue. I urge all of you not to lose your resolve and to work with our other partners to maintain pressure on Russia,” Zelensky added.
Along with Zelensky, President Donald Trump will face opposition from several major NATO members as he tries to implement the truce negotiated by his team. French President Emmanuel Macron said it was “much too early” to discuss lifting sanctions, adding, “Ultimately, sanctions depend solely on Russia’s choice of aggression, and therefore, their lifting depends solely on Russia’s choice to comply with international law.”
Marcon made the remarks at a European summit dubbed “the coalition of the willing.” The meeting was meant to establish new aid for the Ukrainians and a military buildup in Europe that is not dependent on the US. During the conference, Macron said some attending countries would still send a “reassurance force” to Ukraine.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Trump will consider the conditions proposed by the Kremlin. “After our meeting (in Saudi Arabia) … the Russians detailed a number of conditions that they want to see met in order to do that, so we’re going to evaluate that,” he told reporters on Wednesday. Officials work to “more fully understand what the Russian position is, or what they’re asking in exchange, and then we’ll present that to the President (Trump).”
