Russia, Ukraine Agree to U.S. Brokered Black Sea Ceasefire
by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – In a breakthrough following U.S.-led talks in Saudi Arabia, the White House announced Tuesday that Russia and Ukraine separately agreed to halt military strikes in the Black Sea, marking a tentative first step toward peace.
With President Trump pushing for a swift end to the war, U.S. negotiators held separate three-day meetings in Riyadh with Ukrainian and Russian delegations that led to the ceasefire agreement.
“The United States and Russia have agreed to ensure safe navigation, eliminate the use of force, and prevent the use of commercial vessels for military purposes in the Black Sea,” the White House said in a statement.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov confirmed the agreement on X, stating, “All parties have agreed to ensure safe navigation, eliminate the use of force, and prevent the use of commercial vessels for military purposes in the Black Sea.”
However, Umerov warned that any movement of Russian warships outside the eastern Black Sea would breach the U.S.-brokered deal, adding on Facebook that if this occurs, “Ukraine will have full right to exercise right to self-defense.”
Despite the ceasefire agreement, the Kremlin signaled Tuesday it may withhold full compliance until Russia is reinstated into the SWIFT banking system, casting doubt on the deal’s success. As an incentive, the U.S. offered to “help restore access to the world market” for Russian agricultural and fertilizer exports—the most concrete offer since Western sanctions began in 2022.
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