Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a ceasefire in the Black Sea, the White House announced Tuesday following talks in Riyadh.
According to two White House statements — one on Russia, the other on Ukraine — both sides agreed to “ensure safe navigation, avoid the use of force, and prevent the use of commercial vessels for military purposes in the Black Sea.”
If the agreement is reached, it would mean an end to military action at sea in the Black Sea, which is shared by Ukraine, Russia, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey and Georgia.
But the US-brokered agreement will not end the land war, where most of the fighting is taking place.
Russia and Ukraine also agreed to “develop measures” to implement an earlier agreement to stop attacks on Ukrainian and Russian energy infrastructure. They also promised to “continue working to achieve a strong and lasting peace.”
The agreement obliges the United States to facilitate prisoner exchanges and the release of Ukrainian children kidnapped by Russia, as well as to help Russia restore access to global markets for agricultural products and fertilizers.
The Black Sea theatre of operations became one of the war's first defining moments, when the Russian navy attacked Snake Island to the west. A Ukrainian border guard defending the island allegedly told a Russian officer over the radio: “Russian warship, go to hell.”
The moment became a symbol of Ukrainian resistance, and the country's border service later unsuccessfully tried to register it as a trademark in the EU.
Source: Source
