The United States has brokered a tentative agreement between Ukraine and Russia to stop fighting and ensure safe navigation in the Black Sea, amid ongoing tensions between the two countries. The deal is conditional on lifting some Western sanctions against Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised the talks as “the early right steps” towards a peaceful settlement of the three-year-old war. US experts met separately with Ukrainian and Russian representatives in Saudi Arabia to work out details on a partial pause in the fighting in Ukraine, which began with Moscow’s invasion in 2022.
The agreement includes measures for implementing an agreement reached between US President Joe Biden and Zelenskyy to ban strikes against energy facilities in Russia and Ukraine. The talks did not include direct Russian-Ukrainian contacts, but aimed to work out details on a limited ceasefire.
Despite the progress, significant uncertainties remain, and both sides agree that the responsibility for potential violations also remains unclear. Ukraine has rejected Russia’s demands for a halt of arms supplies to Kyiv and a suspension of Ukraine’s military mobilization.
Cross-border strikes continue, with both sides accusing each other of breaching agreements. The Russian Foreign Ministry warned that Moscow would not agree to surrender control over the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which was captured by Russia in the opening days of the invasion.
The situation remains volatile, and further talks are needed to achieve a lasting ceasefire. However, the US-brokered deal provides a glimmer of hope for a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-ceasefire-talks-saudi-arabia-02cd8e100113bc9e80c7a737bf01c796