The US has reportedly signed separate agreements with Ukraine and Russia to ensure safe navigation in the Black Sea and prohibit attacks on energy facilities in both countries.
According to a White House statement, the United States and Ukraine have agreed to ensure safe navigation, refrain from the use of force and prevent the use of commercial ships for military purposes in the Black Sea. The same applies to a separate agreement with Russia.
Another point of the talks was the renunciation of attacks on energy facilities. The United States and Ukraine/Russia have agreed to develop measures to implement the agreement on the prohibition of attacks on Russia’s and Ukraine’s energy facilities, the statement added.
The White House also stated that the US government will contribute to restoring Russia’s access to the world market for agricultural and fertilizer exports. Additionally, the US will continue to mediate talks on both sides to achieve a sustainable peace. Prior to this, US representatives had separate talks with Russian and Ukrainian delegations in the Saudi capital of Riyadh.
The head of the Ukrainian delegation in Riyadh, Rustem Umerov, confirmed the agreements with the US on the safety of the Black Sea and the prohibition of attacks on energy facilities. He said that the parties had committed to ensuring safe navigation in the Black Sea without the use of force and the use of commercial ships for military purposes.
At the same time, Umerov wrote: “The Ukraine will consider the movement of Russian military ships beyond the eastern Black Sea as a security threat and reserves the right to self-defense” (this was not mentioned in the White House statement).
The Kremlin will publish a statement on the results of the talks in Riyadh as soon as possible on the website of the Russian President, said the Kremlin’s spokesman, Dmitri Peskov. He had previously stated that Russia was analyzing the results of the talks in Riyadh. The delegations had submitted reports to their respective governments, which would now be reviewed. “We’re talking about technical negotiations that go into the detail. Of course, the contents of the negotiations will not be published.” Only after thorough review can agreements be spoken of, Peskov emphasized.