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CNN
25-03-2025
- Business
- CNN
White House says Russia and Ukraine agree to stop using force in Black Sea
The White House said Tuesday that both Ukraine and Russia have agreed to stop using force in the Black Sea – a deal in principle that the Kremlin says comes with several conditions before it can be implemented. US officials held series of separate meetings with Russian and Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia in recent days. The White House outlined the agreements it said the US struck with Russia and Ukraine in two separate, but very similar statements on Tuesday. Both said that the US and each of the respective countries '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.' Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed in a news conference in Kyiv that Ukraine has agreed to stop using military force in the Black Sea. However, the Kremlin's statement added that it would only implement the deal when restrictions on its banks and food and fertilizer exports are lifted. The sanctions were imposed after Moscow launched its unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The US appeared to offer different rewards to Kyiv and Moscow for sticking to their side of the bargain, including a promise that it would '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' – a possible indication of willingness by the US to lift some of its strict economic sanctions. But the details and timeline of relaxing restrictions remain unclear, as does the future of European sanctions. Kyiv and its European allies have previously warned against lifting sanctions before a ceasefire is in place. In the statement outlining the results of the talks with Ukraine, the White House also said the US 'remains committed to helping achieve the exchange of prisoners of war, the release of civilian detainees, and the return of forcibly transferred Ukrainian children.' As the Trump administration pushes for peace in Ukraine, Russian officials have previously indicated interest in US-led proposals, accompanied by strenuous conditions. Earlier this month, after Kyiv accepted a US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire covering the entire front line, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that he 'agreed with the proposal' in spirit but requested a number of concessions before signing up to it. An agreement that Ukraine and Russia stop targeting energy infrastructure has also been marred by allegations that both sides have continued to attack energy sites. The White House statements came after lengthy talks between the US and Russia on a potential ceasefire in Ukraine ended without the two sides being able to agree on a joint statement, despite expectations that there would be one. The Russian state news agency Interfax quoted the first deputy chairman of the Russian Federation Council's Defence and Security Committee, Vladimir Chizhov, as telling state TV channel Rossiya-24 that the statement was 'not adopted because of Ukraine's position.' 'The fact that they sat for 12 hours and seemed to agree on a joint statement, which however was not adopted due to Ukraine's position, is also very characteristic and symptomatic,' Chizhov told Russia-24, according to Interfax. Ukraine was not represented in the talks and Chizhov did not give any details on the 'Ukraine's position.' Russian and US officials had met at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Riyadh on Monday, the same location where the US delegation met with Ukrainian officials on Sunday. Ukraine's Defense Minister Rustem Umerov described his meeting with President Donald Trump's envoy Keith Kellogg on Sunday as 'productive and focused.' US President Donald Trump has made ending the war in Ukraine one of his priorities. He went as far as promising during his election campaign that he would achieve peace within 24 hours of being in office. Instead of a full truce, the White House statements on Tuesday outline an agreement to stop using force in the sea, similar to the Black Sea grain initiative that was in place earlier in the war. Brokered by the United Nations and Turkey, the initiative aimed to provide safe passage for Ukraine ships transporting agricultural produce via the Black Sea. Ukraine was one of the world's leading grain exporters before Russia's full-scale invasion. The initiative was signed in July 2022 and renewed three times before lapsing in July 2023. Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Tuesday that Moscow was in favor of resuming the Black Sea Grain Initiative, 'with certain conditions.' The two statements from the White House also said that the US and the two countries – separately – agreed to 'develop measures for implementing' an agreement to ban strikes against energy facilities of Russia and Ukraine. Zelensky, however, seemed more optimistic about this part of the agreement, telling reporters in Kyiv that Ukraine and Russia have also agreed to pause strikes on each other's energy infrastructure. He said that Ukraine has provided the US with a list of energy facilities it would like to be protected. However, Zelensky confirmed that 'civilian infrastructure will not be included in the agreement.' Russia has been regularly attacking Ukrainian cities in recent weeks, killing dozens of Ukrainian civilians this month. Russia had indicated it would stop striking Ukrainian energy infrastructure following a call between Putin and Trump earlier this month, but it broke that promise almost immediately, striking energy targets in Ukraine that very night. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that Moscow was 'analyzing' the results of the second round of talks between Russian and US officials. He also said there were currently no plans for Trump and Putin to speak, although he added that a conversation between the two leaders could be arranged 'quite quickly.' Meanwhile, Lavrov told Russia's Channel One that the US must 'order' Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to respect a new Black Sea grain deal, hinting at the belief by Moscow that the US is prepared to strongarm Kyiv into an agreement. Indeed, the White House has made it clear to Zelensky and his nation that US military, economic and intelligence support for his country rests on his willingness to participate in Trump's peace process.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Joint US-Russia statement following Riyadh meeting not adopted due to Ukraine's stance, Moscow claims
Russia has claimed that a joint statement following consultations between the Russian and American delegations in Riyadh was not adopted because of Ukraine's stance. Source: Vladimir Chizhov, First Deputy Chairman of the Defence and Security Committee of the Federation Council [the upper chamber of the Russian parliament], on Kremlin-aligned Russian TV channel Rossiya 24, as reported by European Pravda Details: Chizhov described the meeting in Riyadh as a link in the chain of Russo-American communications, which began with a telephone conversation between Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump. "They [the delegations in Riyadh] sat for 12 hours and seemingly agreed upon a joint statement, which, however, was not adopted because of Ukraine's position, which is also very typical and symptomatic," he claimed. Background: Earlier, Grigory Karasin, Chairman of the Federation Council's Committee on International Affairs, commented on the meeting between the two delegations in Saudi Arabia on 24 March, stating that the conversation was challenging but ultimately beneficial for both Moscow and Washington. According to Russian propaganda media outlets, the Moscow-Washington meeting lasted 12 hours with breaks. Reports indicated that a joint statement would be issued later. The Kremlin stated that the primary focus of the discussions with the US delegation in Saudi Arabia was the resumption of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, from which Russia withdrew in 2023. On Tuesday 25 March, the Ukrainian and American teams once again met in Saudi Arabia to discuss a potential truce between Kyiv and Moscow. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
CNN
25-03-2025
- Business
- CNN
Russia and US ‘did not agree on joint statement' after Ukraine ceasefire talks, Russian media reports
Lengthy talks between the United States and Russia on a potential ceasefire in Ukraine have ended without agreement on Tuesday, Russian state news agency Interfax reported, pouring cold water on expectations that the two sides would be able to present some sort of joint statement after the marathon meeting. Interfax quoted the first deputy chairman of the the Russian Federation Council's Defence and Security Committee, Vladimir Chizhov, as telling state TV channel Rossiya-24 that the statement was 'not adopted because of Ukraine's position.' 'The fact that they sat for 12 hours and seemed to agree on a joint statement, which however was not adopted due to Ukraine's position, is also very characteristic and symptomatic,' Chizhov told Russia-24, according to Interfax. US and Russian diplomats had been widely expected to issue a joint statement on Tuesday morning. Such a statement would send a powerful signal that both Washington, DC and Moscow were serious about the ceasefire. The US has not yet commented on the outcome of talks. Russian and US officials met at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Riyadh on Monday, the same location where the US delegation met with Ukrainian officials on Sunday. Ukraine's Defense Minister Rustem Umerov described his meeting with President Donald Trump's envoy Keith Kellogg on Sunday as 'productive and focused.' Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said earlier on Tuesday that Moscow was 'analyzing' the results of the second round of talks between Russian and US officials. Speaking to reporters during one of his regular daily press calls, he seemed to downplay the importance of the talks, describing them as 'technical.' He also said there were currently no plans for Trump and Putin to speak, although he added that a conversation between the two leaders could be arranged 'quite quickly.' Russian officials said ahead of the meeting that they wanted the talks to focus on reviving the Black Sea grain initiative. The Black Sea grain deal between Russia and Ukraine was brokered by the United Nations and Turkey and aimed to provide safe passage for Ukraine ships transporting agricultural produce via the Black Sea. Ukraine was one of the world's leading grain exporters before Russia's full-scale invasion. The initiative, signed in July 2022 and renewed three times before lapsing in July 2023. Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Tuesday that Moscow was in favor of resuming the Black Sea Grain Initiative, 'with certain conditions.' This is a developing story.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Russia and US ‘did not agree on joint statement' after Ukraine ceasefire talks, Russian media reports
Lengthy talks between the United States and Russia on a potential ceasefire in Ukraine have ended without agreement on Tuesday, Russian state news agency Interfax reported, pouring cold water on expectations that the two sides would be able to present some sort of joint statement after the marathon meeting. Interfax quoted the first deputy chairman of the the Russian Federation Council's Defence and Security Committee, Vladimir Chizhov, as telling state TV channel Rossiya-24 that the statement was 'not adopted because of Ukraine's position.' 'The fact that they sat for 12 hours and seemed to agree on a joint statement, which however was not adopted due t o Ukraine's position, is also very characteristic and symptomatic,' Chizhov told Russia-24, according to Interfax. US and Russian diplomats had been widely expected to issue a joint statement on Tuesday morning. Such a statement would send a powerful signal that both Washington, DC and Moscow were serious about the ceasefire. The US has not yet commented on the outcome of talks. Russian and US officials met at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Riyadh on Monday, the same location where the US delegation met with Ukrainian officials on Sunday. Ukraine's Defense Minister Rustem Umerov described his meeting with President Donald Trump's envoy Keith Kellogg on Sunday as 'productive and focused.' Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said earlier on Tuesday that Moscow was 'analyzing' the results of the second round of talks between Russian and US officials. Speaking to reporters during one of his regular daily press calls, he seemed to downplay the importance of the talks, describing them as 'technical.' He also said there were currently no plans for Trump and Putin to speak, although he added that a conversation between the two leaders could be arranged 'quite quickly.' Russian officials said ahead of the meeting that they wanted the talks to focus on reviving the Black Sea grain initiative. The Black Sea grain deal between Russia and Ukraine was brokered by the United Nations and Turkey and aimed to provide safe passage for Ukraine ships transporting agricultural produce via the Black Sea. Ukraine was one of the world's leading grain exporters before Russia's full-scale invasion. The initiative, signed in July 2022 and renewed three times before lapsing in July 2023. Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Tuesday that Moscow was in favor of resuming the Black Sea Grain Initiative, 'with certain conditions.' This is a developing story.
CNN
25-03-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Russia and US ‘did not agree on joint statement' after Ukraine ceasefire talks, Russian media reports
Lengthy talks between the United States and Russia on a potential ceasefire in Ukraine have ended without agreement on Tuesday, Russian state news agency Interfax reported, pouring cold water on expectations that the two sides would be able to present some sort of joint statement after the marathon meeting. Interfax quoted the first deputy chairman of the the Russian Federation Council's Defence and Security Committee, Vladimir Chizhov, as telling state TV channel Rossiya-24 that the statement was 'not adopted because of Ukraine's position.' 'The fact that they sat for 12 hours and seemed to agree on a joint statement, which however was not adopted due to Ukraine's position, is also very characteristic and symptomatic,' Chizhov told Russia-24, according to Interfax. US and Russian diplomats had been widely expected to issue a joint statement on Tuesday morning. Such a statement would send a powerful signal that both Washington, DC and Moscow were serious about the ceasefire. The US has not yet commented on the outcome of talks. Russian and US officials met at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Riyadh on Monday, the same location where the US delegation met with Ukrainian officials on Sunday. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said earlier on Tuesday that Moscow was 'analyzing' the results of the second round of talks between Russian and US officials. Speaking to reporters during one of his regular daily press calls, he seemed to downplay the importance of the talks, describing them as 'technical.' He also said there were currently no plans for Trump and Putin to speak, although he added that a conversation between the two leaders could be arranged 'quite quickly.' This is a developing story.
