The United States has said Russia and Ukraine have separately agreed to ensure safe navigation and halt military strikes on commercial vessels in the Black Sea, following talks in Saudi Arabia.
In two separate statements on Tuesday, the White House stated the U.S. commitment to lasting peace in the region.
In the statement on talks with Russia, the U.S promised to facilitate Russian agricultural and fertiliser exports.
“The United States will help restore Russia’s access to the world market for agricultural and fertiliser exports, lower maritime insurance costs, and enhance access to ports and payment systems for such transactions,” the statement said.
It also said that the US and Russia agreed to develop measures for implementing President Donald Trump’s and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s agreement “to ban strikes against energy facilities of Russia and Ukraine.”
“The United States and Russia will continue working toward achieving a durable and lasting peace. 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 added.
In the statement on Ukrainian talks, the White House promised to ensure the release of prisoners and the return of children forcibly kidnapped from Ukraine to Russia.
The statement read in parts, “The United States and Ukraine 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 United States and Ukraine agreed that the United States remains committed to helping achieve the exchange of prisoners of war, the release of civilian detainees, and the return of forcibly transferred Ukrainian children.
“The United States and Ukraine agreed to develop measures for implementing President Trump’s and President Zelenskyy’s agreement to ban strikes against energy facilities of Russia and Ukraine.
“The United States and Ukraine welcome the good offices of third countries with a view toward supporting the implementation of the energy and maritime agreements.
“The United States and Ukraine will continue working toward achieving a durable and lasting peace,” the White House said.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Black Sea has been a major flashpoint.
The region is important for global trade, particularly agricultural exports from Ukraine and Russia.
Past attempts to secure safe shipping corridors, such as the Black Sea Grain Initiative, collapsed due to renewed hostilities and geopolitical disputes.
The ongoing war has severely disrupted food supply chains, raising concerns about global food security and increasing tensions in maritime trade.
