Russia has indicated that Western sanctions must be partially lifted before implementing a maritime ceasefire with Ukraine, complicating recent peace negotiations.
Hours after the US announced separate deals halting strikes in the Black Sea, the Kremlin outlined specific conditions, including revoking sanctions on state agricultural bank Rosselkhozbank and restoring Swift international payment system access for Russian financial institutions.
Simultaneously, Moscow launched a drone attack on Mykolaiv, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky interpreting this as a clear signal of Russia’s reluctance for peace. The EU and its allies had originally suspended Russian banks’ Swift access to disrupt payments for energy and agricultural exports.
Reversing these sanctions would require EU approval, which appears uncertain given recent statements supporting Ukraine.
US President Donald Trump suggested Russia might be attempting to delay ending the war, stating, “I think that Russia wants to see an end to it, but it could be they’re dragging their feet.”
The maritime ceasefire was announced following three days of peace talks in Saudi Arabia, though Kyiv and Moscow released conflicting statements about the deal’s details and implementation.
Zelensky believed the agreement would take effect immediately and characterized the Kremlin’s sanctions-related statement as an attempt to “manipulate” the negotiations.
Washington emphasized that all parties would continue working toward a “durable and lasting peace” and that the agreement would reopen a critical trade route. Both sides also committed to developing measures to implement a previously agreed ban on attacking each other’s energy infrastructure.
The Black Sea, bordered by Ukraine, Russia, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, and Georgia, represents a vital shipping route for Ukrainian exports. After Russia’s 2023 withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative, it declared any vessel heading to Ukraine a potential military target, causing Ukrainian grain exports to significantly decline.
The maritime ceasefire’s success remains uncertain, with complex geopolitical conditions and ongoing military tensions challenging potential peaceful resolution.
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