Washington/Moscow/Kyiv – In a historic move, the United States brokered separate agreements with Ukraine and Russia on Tuesday, securing a temporary halt to hostilities at sea and against energy infrastructure. The deals mark the first formal commitments between the two warring nations since President Donald Trump took office, as Washington seeks to facilitate an end to the conflict and improve relations with Moscow—an effort that has raised concerns in Kyiv and across Europe.
While details on the implementation of the Black Sea maritime security arrangements remain unclear, the agreements represent a significant diplomatic development. The U.S.-Russia deal extends further than the U.S.-Ukraine accord, with Washington pledging to advocate for the lifting of some international sanctions on Russian agricultural and fertilizer exports—long-standing demands from the Kremlin.
Shortly after the U.S. announcement, the Kremlin insisted that the Black Sea truce would only take effect if certain Russian banks were reconnected to the international financial system.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy countered this claim, asserting that his understanding of the agreements did not include a requirement for sanctions relief before enforcement. He accused Moscow of attempting to manipulate the terms, stating, “They are already trying to distort agreements and, in fact, deceive both our intermediaries and the entire world”.
Both Kyiv and Moscow acknowledged Washington’s role as the primary enforcer of the deals, while also expressing doubts about each other’s commitment to upholding them.
“We will need clear guarantees”, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated. “And given the sad experience of agreements with just Kyiv, the guarantees can only be the result of an order from Washington to Zelenskiy and his team to do one thing and not the other”.
Zelenskiy, on the other hand, emphasized Ukraine’s vigilance, warning that if Russia breached the agreements, he would request President Trump to impose additional sanctions on Moscow and expedite further military aid to Ukraine. “We have no faith in the Russians, but we will be constructive”, Zelenskiy remarked.
Despite the truce announcements, reports emerged within hours of renewed drone attacks by both sides. However, there were no immediate confirmations of damage to Black Sea or energy infrastructure.
