Ukraine and Russia have been negotiating with Turkey for two months regarding the agreement on guarantees of navigation safety in the Black Sea. The countries had already reached an agreement on the text of the document, when Kyiv suddenly refused to enter into an agreement.
This was reported to the Reuters news agency on condition of anonymity by four sources close to the discussions.
According to them, the negotiations took place with the mediation of Turkey after the urging of the UN.
Agreements "on guarantees of the safety of merchant shipping in the Black Sea" were allegedly reached in March. Although Ukraine did not want to officially sign it, it agreed for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to announce the agreement on March 30, on the eve of local elections in Turkey.
"Ukraine suddenly pulled out of the negotiations at the last minute, and the deal was broken," one of the sources said. Three more people confirmed this version.
It was not immediately clear why Ukraine refused the agreement. Reuters interlocutors said what was the reason for such a decision.
In February, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that without new US military aid, Ukraine would not be able to protect the Black Sea shipping corridor.
"We still hope that freedom of navigation in the Black Sea will prevail," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told Reuters in a comment.
The text of the agreement, a copy of which was seen by Reuters, states that Turkey "as part of its mediation efforts" reached agreements with Ukraine and Russia "on ensuring the free and safe navigation of merchant ships in the Black Sea" under the Montreux Convention on the Regime of the Straits.
This 1936 document gives Turkey control over the Bosphorus and Dardanelles and the right to regulate the transit of warships.
It also guarantees the free passage of civilian vessels in peacetime and restricts the passage of vessels that do not belong to the countries of the Black Sea region.
According to the agreement, Ukraine and Russia were to offer security guarantees to merchant ships in the Black Sea, pledging not to hit, seize or search them while they are empty or carrying non-military cargo.
"These guarantees do not apply to warships, civilian vessels transporting military goods (with the exception of sea transportation agreed by the parties within the framework of international missions)," the draft agreement states.
- In 2022, Turkey and the UN provided intermediary assistance in the implementation of the Black Sea Grain Initiative. This agreement made it possible to safely export Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea.
- Russia pulled out of the deal in July 2023, complaining that its own food and fertilizer exports faced serious obstacles.