Washington: The US on Tuesday signed separate agreements with Ukraine and Russia to ensure safe navigation in the Black Sea. Apart from this, both the countries have also agreed to stop attacks on each other's energy facilities. If these agreements are implemented, it will be the clearest progress so far towards a trade ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. The US has described it as a huge step towards peace talks to end the three-year-old war between Ukraine and Russia.
Russia-Ukraine made America the guarantor
Both countries said they would rely on Washington to implement the agreements. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters at a news conference in Kyiv: "If Russia violates this, I have a direct question for President Trump. If they violate, here is the evidence - we will demand sanctions, we will demand weapons, etc."
What the Russian Foreign Minister said
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said: "We will need clear guarantees. And just given the sad experience of agreements with Kyiv, guarantees can only be the result of an order from Washington to Zelensky and his team to do one thing and not do another." These agreements have been reached after separate talks between the US, Russia and Ukraine in Saudi Arabia. So far Russia and Ukraine have not held direct talks, but both countries are agreeing to talks with the US.
US will ease sanctions on Russia
Under the agreement with Moscow, Washington promised to help Russia restore access to markets for its agricultural and fertilizer exports. The Kremlin said this would require the lifting of some sanctions. The talks followed separate phone calls between Trump and the two presidents, Zelensky and Vladimir Putin, last week. Putin rejected Trump's proposal for a complete ceasefire lasting 30 days, which Ukraine had previously supported.
Ukraine shows stubbornness even after agreement
Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustam Umarov said Kiev would regard any activity by Russian military ships outside the eastern part of the Black Sea as a violation and a threat, in which case Ukraine would have the full right to self-defense. Russia has attacked Ukraine's power grid with missiles and drones throughout the war, arguing that civilian energy infrastructure is a legitimate target because it helps Ukraine's warfighting capabilities.
Ukraine attacking Russia's energy structures
Recently, Ukraine has been carrying out long-range attacks on Russian oil and gas targets, which it says are helping to fuel Russian troops and fund its war. At the start of the war, Russia imposed a naval blockade of Ukraine, one of the world's largest grain exporters, worsening the global food crisis.
