Russia and Ukraine Agree on 'Black Sea Ceasefire'... Russia Says Sanctions Must Be Lifted for It to Take Effect

The White House announced on the 25th (local time) that Russia and Ukraine, which have entered ceasefire negotiations mediated by the United States, have agreed to establish measures to implement a ceasefire in the Black Sea and halt attacks on energy facilities. However, Russia has set the lifting of sanctions against itself as a precondition for a partial ceasefire agreement, leading to observations that not only is a swift conclusion to the ceasefire negotiations unlikely, but even the implementation of a partial ceasefire remains a distant prospect.

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, where practical ceasefire negotiations between Russia and Ukraine were held under the mediation of the United States. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

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In a statement on the same day, the White House said that as a result of the ceasefire negotiations over the past three days held in Saudi Arabia, Russia and Ukraine "agreed to ensure safe navigation in the Black Sea, exclude the use of force, and not use commercial vessels for military purposes."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also stated that the partial ceasefire agreement, including the Black Sea ceasefire, would be immediately observed. He also hinted that talks between the United States and Ukraine could take place soon.

The White House also announced that the U.S. and Russia have agreed on detailed measures to implement the previously agreed ceasefire on energy facilities. The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense confirmed the same position regarding this matter. Although Russia and Ukraine agreed on a ceasefire for energy facilities on the 18th, both sides have continued mutual attacks since then, and the agreement has not been properly upheld.

Furthermore, the White House expressed its full support for third-party mediation to assist in implementing such agreements in the energy and maritime sectors.

The White House stated, "The United States will help restore Russia's access to global markets for agricultural products and fertilizers, reduce maritime insurance costs, and improve access to ports and payment systems for such transactions."

Until now, the United States has been mediating ceasefire agreements by individually contacting the Russian and Ukrainian negotiation teams in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, since the 23rd. They have been conducting working-level talks on a partial ceasefire plan that includes a one-month halt to attacks on energy facilities and cessation of hostilities in the Black Sea. The Russian and Ukrainian delegations did not meet face-to-face; the United States coordinated the positions of both sides as an intermediary.

However, Russia emphasized that the partial ceasefire agreement would only take effect after the lifting of restrictions on its banks, food, and fertilizer exports. Russia's position is that sanctions on the Russian state agricultural bank (Rosselkhozbank), Russian-flagged vessels, and Russian food producers and exporters must be lifted, and financial institutions related to food and fertilizers must be reconnected to the international payment system for the agreement to be implemented. These sanctions were imposed after Russia's unjustified full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

As Russia seeks to extract more concessions from the White House, a smooth conclusion to a comprehensive ceasefire agreement is expected to be difficult. According to Bloomberg News, the United States aims to conclude ceasefire negotiations by April 20, but the outlook is not optimistic. Previously, former U.S. President Donald Trump attempted to secure a '30-day full ceasefire' agreement during a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the 18th, but Putin rejected it, resulting in a ceasefire agreement limited to energy facilities. At that time, Russia stated that a full ceasefire would only be possible if foreign countries, including the United States, stopped providing weapons and intelligence support to Ukraine.

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