▲ Black Sea
Despite the US-brokered agreement between Russia and Ukraine for a partial ceasefire concerning the Black Sea and energy facilities, Russia continues to pressure the US and Ukraine by demanding the lifting of sanctions as a precondition.
On the 25th local time, the Kremlin emphasized that the agreement would only be implemented after Western sanctions on Russian food and fertilizer exports are lifted.
The effectiveness of the agreement hinges on lifting sanctions on the Russian Agricultural Bank and other financial institutions related to agricultural exports, and reconnecting them to the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT), an international payment system.
TASS news agency reported, “It is up to Europe to lift the sanctions and reconnect Russian financial institutions to SWIFT,” and urged that “the US should try to persuade its transatlantic partners to meet Russia’s demands.”
These demands are consistent with the claims Russia made when it broke the Black Sea grain deal in July 2023.
Russia had previously agreed in July 2022 to ensure the safe export of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea, but later withdrew from the agreement, claiming that the provision ensuring the export of Russian food and fertilizers was not being implemented.
Russia argues that while the West did not sanction Russian agricultural products themselves, sanctions on related financial institutions are hindering transactions.
TASS projected that resuming the agreement could lead to broader and longer-term ceasefire discussions, but noted that Ukraine’s negotiating power is crucial.
Regarding this, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated in an interview with local media the day before that solid guarantees for implementation must be in place to resume the agreement, but stressed that Russia does not trust President Zelensky. He said, “Such guarantees can only be achieved as a result of orders from the US to Zelensky to comply with the agreement.”
Lavrov emphasized that only increased US pressure on Ukraine could ensure safe navigation in the Black Sea.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated in a briefing that Ukraine has continued to attempt attacks on Russian energy facilities and that “the Kyiv regime has repeatedly proven incapable of reaching negotiation and agreement, so we believe this attack suspension must be strictly observed.”
He claimed that the Russian military continues to uphold the suspension of attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities as ordered by President Vladimir Putin.
Regarding Russia’s proposed preconditions, he stated they are “conditions akin to those originally included in the Black Sea grain deal” and affirmed continued cooperation with the US to implement the agreement.
Russian daily Izvestia noted that the Trump administration, unlike European countries, had shown pragmatism.
Given the benefit to global food security from resuming Russian food and fertilizer exports, lifting sanctions on the Russian Agricultural Bank and others could be anticipated.
The White House has already stated in a release that it will “help restore global market access for Russia’s agricultural (agro-product) and fertilizer exports, reduce maritime insurance costs, and enhance accessibility to ports and payment systems for such transactions.”
Izvestia anticipated that Turkey, a Black Sea neighboring country, is likely to participate in related negotiations.
Turkey had co-mediated the 2022 Black Sea grain deal with the United Nations.
Grigory Karasin, a senator and head of the Foreign Affairs Committee, who negotiated with the US on behalf of Russia in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on the 24th, mentioned in an interview with TASS the next day that “we will continue dialogues with the international community, particularly with the UN and specific countries involved.”
On the 25th, the US, Russia, and Ukraine announced that Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a ceasefire in the Black Sea and to halt attacks on energy facilities for 30 days.