US and Russia Reach Deal on Agricultural Exports, Sanctions and Shipping
The Kremlin and the White House announced on Tuesday that the US will help restore Russia’s access to the world market for agricultural and fertilizer exports, reduce the costs of marine insurance and improve access to ports and payment systems for such transactions.
According to Moscow, the agreement foresees the lifting of restrictions on the Russian Agricultural Bank and other financial institutions involved in the international sale of food and fertilizers. It also envisions the lifting of sanctions against Russian ships and port services, as well as the possibility of buying agricultural machinery and similar goods.
The White House did not provide details, but US President Donald Trump confirmed that his administration is considering the lifting of some sanctions against Moscow. When asked by reporters at the White House on Tuesday, Trump said: “They will review them and we are thinking about all of them right now. There are about five or six conditions. We are reviewing them all.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused the US of discussing the issue of sanctions with the Russian delegation without informing Kiev. Zelenskyy stated: “We did not agree to that, so it was not included in a joint document. We believe that this is a weakening of positions and a weakening of sanctions.”
On Monday, expert groups from the US and Russia met in Saudi Arabia. After 12 hours of talks on the Ukraine conflict, they agreed to revive the stalled Black Sea Grain Initiative. The original agreement, mediated by the United Nations and Turkey in July 2022, had seen the secure passage of Ukrainian agricultural products in exchange for the lifting of Western sanctions against Russian grain and fertilizer exports.
Moscow eventually refused to extend the agreement, as the West did not meet its commitments. Now, Russia needs ironclad guarantees from the US, said Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Only a “direct order” from Washington can force Kiev to adhere to the agreement.