Russia, Ukraine, agree to truce in Black Sea, in first step toward potential peace

WASHINGTON — Russia and Ukraine agree to halt military strikes in the Black Sea, achieving a tentative first step toward peace in talks with the United States held in Saudi Arabia.

With President Donald Trump pushing for a rapid end to the war that has killed tens of thousands of people, US negotiators met separately over three days in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, with delegations from Kyiv and Russia.

In parallel statements, the White House says that each country “agreed to ensure safe navigation, eliminate the use of force and prevent the use of commercial vessels for military purposes in the Black Sea.”

The United States reiterates Trump’s “imperative that the killing on both sides of the Russia-Ukraine conflict must stop, as the necessary step toward achieving an enduring peace settlement,” it says.

“To that end, the United States will continue facilitating negotiations between both sides to achieve a peaceful resolution, in line with the agreements made in Riyadh.”

In the most concrete incentive offered to Russia since the West imposed sweeping sanctions over the 2022 invasion, the United States says it would “help restore access to the world market” for Russian agricultural and fertilizer exports.

The United States never directly put sanctions on Russian agriculture but had restricted access to payment systems used for international transactions.

The issue became a major talking point for Russia, which told countries in the developing world that US policies — not the war itself — were contributing to higher prices.