Russia and Ukraine have reached a truce on maritime and energy matters as Washington aims to ease sanctions

On Tuesday, the United States finalized distinct agreements with both Ukraine and Russia aimed at halting maritime attacks and strikes on energy infrastructure. As part of these arrangements, Washington has also indicated its willingness to advocate for the easing of certain sanctions imposed on Moscow.

While the specifics regarding the implementation of the Black Sea maritime security agreements remain uncertain, these marks the first official commitments from both conflicting parties since President Donald Trump took office. Trump is actively seeking to conclude the war in Ukraine and foster a swift reconciliation with Russia, a move that has raised concerns in Kyiv and among European nations.

The U.S. accord with Russia is more comprehensive than that with Ukraine, as it includes a commitment from Washington to assist in the removal of international sanctions on Russian agricultural and fertilizer exports, a longstanding request from Russia.

Following the U.S. announcements, the Kremlin stated that the Black Sea agreements would only take effect if certain Russian banks were reconnected to the global financial system. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy expressed his belief that the truce agreements did not necessitate sanctions relief to be activated and would be effective immediately, labeling the Kremlin’s remarks as an attempt to “manipulate” the situation.

“They are already trying to distort agreements and, in fact, deceive both our intermediaries and the entire world,” Zelenskiy remarked in his evening video address.

Both Kyiv and Moscow have indicated they will depend on Washington to uphold the agreements, though they harbor doubts about the other party’s compliance. “We will need clear guarantees,” stated Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. “And given the unfortunate history of agreements with just Kyiv, the guarantees can only come from an order from Washington to Zelenskiy and his team to act accordingly.”

Zelenskiy stated that if Russia were to breach agreements, he would request Trump to impose further sanctions on Moscow and supply additional arms to Ukraine. “We lack trust in the Russians, but we will approach this constructively,” he remarked.

In the hours that followed these statements, both Russia and Ukraine accused one another of initiating drone strikes, although there were no immediate reports of damage to Black Sea or energy infrastructure.

In a separate interview with Newsmax, Trump acknowledged the possibility that Russia might be attempting to prolong the conflict. “I believe Russia wants to see an end to the war, but they may be stalling. I’ve experienced similar situations over the years,” he noted.

WIDER CEASEFIRE POSSIBILITIES

The agreements were established after concurrent discussions in Saudi Arabia, which followed individual phone conversations last week between Trump and both Zelenskiy and Vladimir Putin. If these agreements are enacted, they could represent a significant advancement toward Trump’s objective of achieving a broader ceasefire in the ongoing war in Ukraine, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion three years ago.

Putin dismissed Trump’s suggestion for a comprehensive 30-day ceasefire, which Ukraine had previously supported. “We are making substantial progress,” Trump informed reporters on Tuesday, while also noting the “tremendous animosity” present in the negotiations. “There’s a lot of hatred, as you can likely sense, and it creates an opportunity for people to come together, mediated and arbitrated, to see if we can bring this to a halt. I believe it will succeed.”

Recently, Washington has moderated its tone towards Russia, with Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff stating that he does not “view Putin as a bad guy,” which has raised concerns among European officials who see the Russian leader as a significant threat. Lavrov, a seasoned Russian diplomat leading the foreign ministry since 2004, remarked that Witkoff’s optimism regarding a potential truce does not account for Kyiv’s European allies.

Lavrov stated that Witkoff greatly exaggerates the influence of European elites, who he claims wish to burden Zelenskiy to prevent him from conceding. Ukraine and its European partners are concerned that Trump might hastily negotiate with Putin, potentially jeopardizing their security and yielding to Russian demands, such as Kyiv renouncing its NATO aspirations and relinquishing territory claimed by Moscow.

PAUSE ON ATTACKS ON ENERGY FACILITIES

On Tuesday, the Kremlin announced that it had reached an agreement with the U.S. to implement a 30-day pause in attacks on energy infrastructure in both Russia and Ukraine, starting from March 18, the date when Putin first broached the topic with Trump. The Kremlin also expressed willingness to extend this arrangement. Ukraine indicated last week that it would only agree to such a pause following a formal accord.

Russia has heavily targeted Ukraine’s energy grid with missile and drone strikes, while Kyiv has retaliated with long-range attacks on Russian oil and gas facilities, making these strikes a significant element of the conflict aimed at disrupting each other’s military capabilities. Although the pause in energy attacks represents a new initiative, the maritime security agreements in the Black Sea address a critical issue that arose early in the conflict when Russia effectively blockaded Ukraine’s naval access, exacerbating a global food crisis due to Ukraine’s status as a major grain exporter. Recently, maritime engagements have played a lesser role in the war since Russia withdrew its naval forces from the eastern Black Sea following several successful Ukrainian offensives.

Kyiv has successfully reopened its ports and resumed exports at levels comparable to those before the war, despite the failure of a previous U.N.-mediated shipping agreement in the Black Sea. However, these ports have frequently been targeted by airstrikes. President Zelenskiy stated that the agreement would prevent such attacks.

Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov indicated that any movement of Russian military vessels beyond the eastern Black Sea would be viewed as a violation and a threat, granting Ukraine the right to defend itself.

Moscow has asserted that the agreement would necessitate the lifting of sanctions, including the restoration of connections between Russia’s agricultural export bank and the SWIFT international payment system. Achieving this and other related measures may require consensus from European nations.