Black Sea ceasefire ‘benefits Russia'

Telegraph

26-03-2025

The Black Sea ceasefire proposal benefits Russia and leaves many questions unanswered, the MP for Ukraine's Black Sea port of Odesa has warned.
Oleksiy Goncharenko said he had concerns about competing statements from Ukraine, Russia and the US about the proposed truce.
'It would be important for Odesa to have a military ceasefire as it would protect our ports,' Mr Goncharenko said. 'But I have heard nothing…all three sides are saying different things.'
The Ukrainian politician said the proposed deal appears to benefit Russia, who have demanded sanctions be lifted before any ceasefire comes into effect.
'Russia is making new demands that sanctions should be lifted but for what? For commercial ships to move? They moved today and yesterday. I have a lot of questions and no answers,' he added.
The White House published two statements on Tuesday claiming that Ukraine and Russia had agreed to 'eliminate the use of force' in the Black Sea.
But the agreement with Russia goes further, with Washington committing to help seek the lifting of international sanctions on Russian agriculture and fertiliser exports.
Shortly after the White House announcement, Moscow warned the deal would only come into force after the lifting of sanctions restrictions that have helped isolate the Kremlin since the invasion.
The Port of Odesa, Ukraine's largest seaport, has come under repeated attacks by Vladimir Putin's forces.
Just four days ago, Russian forces launched a mass drone attack on Odesa, injuring three people and damaging buildings in the surrounding area.
Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, on Tuesday accused the Kremlin of 'engaging in manipulation' about the terms of the Black Sea ceasefire deal, which was agreed in separate talks between the US, Russia and Ukraine in Saudi Arabia.
'Unfortunately, even now, even today, on the very day of negotiations, we see how the Russians have already begun to manipulate,' Mr Zelensky said in his nightly video address.
'They are already trying to distort agreements and, in fact, deceive both our intermediaries and the entire world.'
In addition to sanctions on fertiliser exports, the Kremlin has demanded bans are lifted on it's Rosselkhozbank, which services agriculture firms, and other 'financial organisations involved in ensuring operations on international trade in food products'.
The Kremlin said it also wants its access to the Swift international messaging system be restored.
Analysts have suggested the terms would benefit Russia, leaving Ukraine in a weaker position.
Nico Lange, a senior fellow at the Munich Security Conference, said: 'Russia had already been defeated in the western Black Sea and Ukraine had fought its way back to reclaiming the trade routes from Odesa.
'With today's agreement, Russia gives up almost nothing, but receives sanctions relief and new revenue for its war machine.'
The White House's announcement of a partial truce came as a report by the US national director of intelligence claimed both Kyiv and Moscow would rather continue with war than accept a bad deal.
The report found that Russia's battlefield momentum gave it room for 'strategic patience', while Ukraine conceding territory or neutrality 'without substantial security guarantees from the West could prompt domestic backlash and future insecurity'.
But Mr Zelensky said that the proposed ceasefire was a 'step in the right direction' and called for it to be implemented 'immediately'.
He warned Moscow he would seek tougher sanctions on Russia and more weapons from the US if the terms were broken.