Moscow (Reuters)-Russia said on Tuesday it is willing to sign a new agreement on Black Sea Navigation Safety-a possible springboard for a ceasefire with Ukraine-but only if the United States order President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to respect him.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that only this order would provide guarantees that Russia needs.
Each side criticized the other about the collapse in 2023 of an earlier agreement to ensure the safety of commercial navigation in the Black Sea after Russia sent tens of thousands of soldiers to Ukraine in February 2022.
“We will need clear warranties. And given the sad experience of agreements with Kiev only, the warranties can only be the result of a Washington order for Zelenskiy and his team do one thing and not the other,” Lavrov said in television comments.
“And it seems to me that our American partners have received this sign. They understand that only Washington can get positive results to stop terrorist attacks, stop bombarding civil infrastructure, energy infrastructure not related to the military-industrial complex.”
Russia often accuses Ukraine of “terrorist” actions and Kiev has used similar language in response to Russian attacks that killed thousands of civilians in Ukraine during three years of war.
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Lavrov’s comments indicated that Russia will require an even greater increase in US pressure on Zelenskiy before agreeing with a maritime ceasefire, which, according to Washington, would be an important step for a broader truce.
Zelenskiy and Trump had a disastrous meeting at the White House last month, and Kiev and his European allies fear that Trump could close an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who gives rise to Russian demands and harms his safety.
Black Sea Agreement successor
The maritime ceasefire under discussion would be a successor to the previous Black Sea agreement that allowed Ukraine to safely export almost 33 million tons of grains despite the war.
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Moscow withdrew in 2023, saying that his own food exports and fertilizers faced serious problems due to western sanctions that affected payments, logistics and safe. Kiev had previously accused Russia of obstructing the initiative.
Lavrov said the grain and fertilizer market needs to be “predictable.” He said Russia could not believe in Zelenskiy’s word, an accusation that Zelenskiy often makes Putin.
The Black Sea initiative was the priority of discussions at a meeting between US and Russian authorities in Saudi Arabia on Monday, Lavrov added.
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Kremlin said early on Tuesday that both Russia and the US were analyzing the outcome of the negotiations, but the details would not be disclosed.
