U.S. Announces Black Sea Ceasefire Agreement with Russia

The United States announced on Tuesday that it has reached an agreement with Russia on a sea ceasefire to ensure safe navigation and prevent the militarization of commercial vessels in the Black Sea.

The development followed separate meetings between U.S., Russian, and Ukrainian officials held on Monday and Tuesday.

Following the talks with Ukrainian officials on Tuesday, the White House released two readouts from its discussions with both Russia and Ukraine, formally confirming the agreement.

The statement outlined the objectives of the ceasefire, including eliminating the use of force and ensuring commercial shipping remains free from military conflict.

However, a separate document detailing the discussions with Russia indicated that Moscow had made specific demands from the U.S. as part of the agreement.

These included restoring Russia’s access to global agricultural and fertilizer markets, reducing maritime insurance costs, and improving access to ports and payment systems for such transactions.

Both readouts emphasized that the U.S. remains committed to ending hostilities in the Russia-Ukraine war.

“The United States reiterated President Donald J. Trump’s imperative that the killing on both sides of the Russia-Ukraine conflict must stop, as the necessary step toward achieving an enduring peace settlement,” the statement read.

The U.S. reaffirmed its commitment to facilitating further negotiations in pursuit of a peaceful resolution, in line with agreements made in Riyadh.