During negotiations in Riyadh, the US delegation agreed with representatives of Ukraine and Russia to prevent attacks on commercial vessels in the Black Sea.
This is stated in the White House reports following the meetings.
"The United States and Ukraine have agreed to ensure the safety of navigation, exclude the use of force, and prevent the use of commercial vessels for military purposes in the Black Sea," the statement said.
The United States reached a similar agreement during negotiations with the Russians.
Defense Minister Rustem Umerov separately emphasized that Russiaʼs movement of its military vessels beyond the eastern part of the Black Sea would be considered a violation of the spirit of this agreement and would be viewed as a violation of obligations to ensure freedom of navigation in the Black Sea and a threat to Ukraineʼs national security.
"In this case, Ukraine will have the full right to exercise the right to self-defense," he noted.
In addition, the US delegation separately agreed with Ukraine and Russia to develop measures to mutually stop attacks on energy facilities in Russia and Ukraine.
The White House emphasized that the United States remains committed to facilitating the exchange of prisoners of war, the release of civilian prisoners, and the return of forcibly displaced Ukrainian children.
In addition, the United States said it would help restore Russiaʼs access to the global market for agricultural exports and fertilizers, reduce marine insurance costs, and expand access to ports and payment systems for such transactions.
Technical negotiations between the US delegations and representatives of Ukraine and Russia in Riyadh lasted from March 23 to 25.
What preceded
The previous round of talks between the Ukrainian and US delegations was held on March 11 in Jeddah. As a result, Ukraine agreed to an immediate temporary ceasefire — in exchange, Washington decided to resume aid and intelligence sharing. Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that a 30-day ceasefire would apply to the entire front line if Russia agreed to it.
On March 18, Trump spoke with Putin. They discussed, in particular, the 30-day ceasefire proposed by the United States. Putin demanded that Ukraine stop the mobilization and rearmament of the Armed Forces of Ukraine for this period. After the conversation, the parties reported that Putin allegedly supported the idea of a mutual refusal of the Russian Federation and Ukraine from attacks on energy infrastructure for 30 days.
Trump spoke with Zelensky on March 19. The US president shared with the Ukrainian leader the details of his conversation with Putin. Zelensky said he was ready to support the cessation of strikes on energy and other civilian infrastructure.
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