US to assess Russian demands for Black Sea ceasefire: Secretary of State Marco Rubio | World News
The United States will assess Russia’s latest demands after Moscow agreed “in principle” to a US-mediated ceasefire with Ukraine in the Black Sea, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday. The agreement follows negotiations in Saudi Arabia, where the US brokered separate deals with Ukraine and Russia to ensure safe navigation, prevent attacks, and restrict the use of commercial vessels for military purposes.
“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,” Rubio told reporters during a visit to Jamaica. He added that US officials would “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)” to determine the next steps.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, US President Donald Trump has pushed for an end to the war, a stance that has unsettled Kyiv and European allies as Washington’s ties with Moscow continue to improve.
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Moscow’s demands
Russia’s latest conditions are largely a repeat of previous demands. In a statement on Tuesday, the Kremlin outlined requirements that closely mirror those made in 2022, including the lifting of sanctions on its agricultural exports and financial institutions.
The original Black Sea deal, brokered the United Nations and Turkey in July 2022, was established to ensure Ukrainian grain exports could move safely through the region. At the same time, the UN pledged to support Russia’s agricultural exports through a separate three-year agreement.
However, Russia withdrew from the pact in July 2023, arguing that commitments regarding its food and fertilizer exports had not been fulfilled. UN officials have since engaged in ongoing discussions with Moscow to address these concerns.Story continues below this ad
Sanctions and trade barriers
Moscow has long pushed for the reconnection of the Russian Agricultural Bank (Rosselkhozbank) to the SWIFT payment system, after the European Union cut the bank off in June 2022 as part of its sanctions. Russia has also called for the removal of restrictions on agricultural machinery imports, insurance coverage for Russian shipping, and access to international ports and payment systems for its fertilizer exporters.
Although Western sanctions do not directly target Russian food and fertilizer exports, Moscow argues that financial and logical restrictions have hindered trade.
Rubio acknowledged that Russia’s conditions involve easing some EU sanctions. However, the European Commission has made it clear that any such concessions would be contingent on Moscow withdrawing all its forces from Ukraine.Story continues below this ad
Following the Saudi Arabia talks, the White House confirmed on Tuesday that, as part of the ceasefire agreement, the US had agreed to “help restore Russia’s access to the world market for agricultural and fertilizer exports, lower maritime insurance costs, and enhance access to ports and payment systems for such transactions.”
(With inputs from Reuters)
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