Russia, Ukraine Agree To Black Sea Ceasefire

The White House said Russia and Ukraine have agreed to ensure safe passage for commercial shipping in the Black Sea and stop military strikes.

Washington released separate statements after American officials met representatives from both countries in Saudi Arabia on Tueday.

However, Russia said certain sanctions on banks, insurers, and food exporters must be lifted before the ceasefire comes into force even Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of “lying again” about the terms of the deal.

BBC’s Frank Gardner – who was in Riyadh to report on the recent talks – said there are still many ways Tueday’s deal could unwind.

US President Donald Trump has been meeting US ambassadors at the White House on the matter reports said.

Russia said sanctions need to be lifted on banks involved in international trade in food and fertilisers, as well as being fully reconnected to Swift – a network that facilitates secure financial messaging.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, has in the last few moments, accused Russia of lying about the outcome of talks with the American negotiators.

“The Kremlin is lying again, claiming that the Black Sea ceasefire supposedly depends on sanctions and that the energy ceasefire supposedly began on 18 March. Moscow always lies,” he said in his nightly address to Ukrainians.

He said the statement published by the White House is “absolutely clear”, adding: “It depends on the world and on all those who really need peace whether Russia will be allowed to lie again.”

The Ukrainian defence ministry then said the movement of Russian warships outside the “eastern part of the Black Sea” would be treated as a violation of the agreement even as Zelensky called the deal a “step in the right direction” but that it was “too early” to say whether it would work.

Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov – who took part in the Riyadh talks with the US – said “technical consultations” were needed “as soon as possible to agree on all the details and technical aspects of the implementation, monitoring and control of the arrangements”

And Russia said certain sanctions must be lifted from banks, food producers and exporters before the ceasefire could come into effect

Meanwhile the United Kingdom UK welcomes deal with cautious optimism a spokeswoman for the UK government said, adding they were closely following developments.

“Our position at the moment is that we are obviously hopeful of the progress,” she said.

The spokeswoman declined to say whether the UK is planning to ease any sanctions on Russia – as a reminder.