Delegations from Russia and Ukraine on Tuesday agreed to a ceasefire in the Black Sea following talks with Trump administration officials this week in Saudi Arabia.
“The United States and Russia 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 White House said in a statement following talks in Jeddah.
Similarly, just moments later, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, who is leading the delegation confirmed that “All parties 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.”
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From left, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Ukrainian Head of Presidential Office Andriy Yermak, and Ukrainian Minister of Defense Rustem Umerovto, hold a meeting with US officials, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, Mar. 11, 2025. (Saul Loeb/Pool Photo via AP)
Though he also emphasized that “all movement by Russia of its military vessels outside of [the] eastern part of the Black Sea will constitute violation of the spirit of this agreement, will be regarded as violation of the commitment to ensure safe navigation of the Black Sea and threat to the national security of Ukraine.”
“In this case, Ukraine will have full right to exercise [the] right to self-defense,” he added in a readout following talks in Riyadh.
Though the Kremlin also reportedly suggested on Tuesday it may not be willing to fully enforce the ceasefire until it is admitted back into the SWIFT international banking system – calling into question the actual success of the talks.
According to a report by Reuters, the Kremlin said a Black Sea ceasefire will only be implemented with the removal of Western sanctions on Russia’s Rosselkhozbank – which reportedly services agriculture firms – and when access to the international banking system is restored.
The White House made no direct mention of Russia’s demands to re-engage with SWIFT and did not specify that the ceasefire was contingent on the Kremlin’s demands.
Instead, the White House said in a readout, “The United States will 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.”
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The Turkish Naval Forces Command conducted Exercise Denizkurdu-1 2024 in the Black Sea, Aegean Sea and Eastern Mediterranean simultaneously on Jan. 15, 2024 in Mugla, Turkey. (Yavuz Ozden/ dia images via Getty Imgaes)
But SWIFT is overseen by the central banks of the G-10 – which include Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, the U.K. and the U.S. – as well as the European Central Bank and the lead overseer being the National Bank of Belgium.
Reuters further reported that the Kremlin demanded that sanctions on food and fertilizer exporters and shipments, insurance firms, as well as restrictions on vessels and trade finance operations, need to be lifted.
The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s questions about whether this meant that no ceasefire has actually been fully realized unless the U.S.’s international partners also agree to the Kremlin’s demands.
Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting on the draft of 2024 federal budget and the planning period of 2025 and 2026, via video link at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia September 18, 2023 (Sputnik/Mikhail Metzel/Pool)
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Readouts released by the administration also said that the U.S., Russia and Ukraine “agreed to develop measures for implementing” the terms reached by President Donald Trump, President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last week during separate phone calls banning “strikes against energy facilities of Russia and Ukraine” – but it is unclear what the “implementation” process will look like or how it will be enforced.
The Trump administration noted that the U.S. will continue to work towards a broader ceasefire agreement between Ukraine and Russia.
