MOSCOW: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday that Moscow was ready to sign a new agreement on the safety of shipping in the Black Sea, but only if the United States ordered Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to respect it.
Speaking in a televised address, Lavrov said that Russia would require “clear guarantees” before agreeing to a maritime ceasefire, stressing that previous agreements with Ukraine had not been honoured.
“We will need clear guarantees. And given the sad experience of agreements with just Kyiv, the guarantees can only be the result of an order from Washington to Zelensky and his team to do one thing and not the other,” Lavrov was quoted as saying by Russian state media.
His remarks come amid ongoing talks between Russian and US officials in Saudi Arabia regarding the Ukraine war. The talks are reportedly focusing on a successor to the Black Sea grain deal, which collapsed in 2023.
Talks in Riyadh
Negotiations between Russian and the US delegations were held in Riyadh on Monday, lasting 12 hours, as part of Washington’s efforts to broker a ceasefire, according to Russian news agency TASS.
Grigory Karasin, chairman of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs, described the discussions as “intense” but “useful,” indicating that both sides saw value in continuing negotiations.
“We talked about everything; it was an intense dialogue, not easy, but very useful for us and the Americans,” Karasin told TASS.
“Of course, we are far from solving everything, from being in agreement on all points, but it seems that this type of discussion is very timely.”
Karasin further said that Russia intended to broaden the dialogue by involving international stakeholders, including the United Nations.
Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov played down expectations of an imminent breakthrough, stating that the details of the talks would not be made public.
“The briefings made to the capitals are being analysed, and we can talk about the understandings reached later,” Peskov said during a press briefing.
US and Ukraine’s position
A Ukrainian delegation was also present in Riyadh for discussions with US officials. A source cited by AFP suggested that some progress had been made.
A White House official, cited by Reuters, said that the US and Russia had discussed a possible maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea.
The US delegation, led by National Security Council senior director Andrew Peek and State Department official Michael Anton, reportedly viewed the talks as productive and anticipated “a positive announcement” in the near future.
Despite this, the Kremlin maintained that no immediate plans had been made for another call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump.
However, Peskov noted that such a conversation could be arranged swiftly if necessary.
Black Sea deal revival
The discussions in Riyadh are seen as an effort to revive a Black Sea initiative that previously enabled Ukraine to export nearly 33 million metric tonnes of grain despite the ongoing war.
Moscow withdrew from the deal in 2023, citing obstacles to its own food and fertiliser exports due to Western sanctions affecting payments, logistics, and insurance.
Lavrov stressed the need for a “predictable” market for grain and fertilisers and reiterated Russia’s distrust of Kyiv’s commitments.
