Ukraine And Russia Agree To Ensure Safe Navigation In Black Sea, US Says

The US has brokered an agreement with Ukraine and Russia to ensure safe navigation in the Black Sea and to implement a ban on strikes against energy facilities, following extensive negotiations in Saudi Arabia, Reuters reported on Tuesday.

The White House confirmed that Washington “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 two sides 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,” it said in a statement, according to the Associated Press.

Confirming the deal, Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov wrote in a post on X that any movement of Russian military vessels beyond the eastern part of the Black Sea would be considered a violation.

Umerov further said if Russian warships moved from the eastern part of the Black Sea, then “Ukraine will have full right to exercise right to self-defense.”

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