U.S. and Russian officials met in Saudi Arabia on 24 March for talks aimed at reaching a ceasefire in Ukraine, with a focus on securing a Black Sea maritime ceasefire.
The U.S. aims to secure a maritime ceasefire, ensuring the free flow of shipping in the region, which has not seen intense military operations in recent months. Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov emphasized that the goal was “the safety of navigation” and noted that a previous Black Sea shipping agreement had failed to meet Moscow’s expectations, Reuters reports.
The discussions also touched on the Black Sea Grain Initiative. The Black Sea Grain Initiative, initially brokered in 2022, is also a key point, with Russia having withdrawn from it in 2023. The Black Sea Grain Initiative was a deal brokered in July 2022 between Ukraine, Russia, Turkey, and the United Nations to allow the safe export of Ukrainian grain across the Black Sea, despite the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The agreement allowed Ukraine to export grain and other agricultural products from its Black Sea ports, which had been blocked by Russia’s military actions. It also provided a framework for the protection of ships transporting these goods, ensuring that they could pass safely through the region despite the conflict.
The initiative was successful initially, with nearly 33 million metric tons of grain exported, but in 2023, Russia withdrew from the deal, citing issues with its own food and fertilizer exports, which faced obstacles despite the agreement’s terms.
