The riad summit
At the center of these dialogues was the figure of the American president Donald Trumpwho expressed the strong desire to see a term to hostilities, supporting the search for a peaceful solution that involves both Fly is Kiev. The meetings, facilitated by the hereditary prince Mohammed Bin Salmanhave highlighted the determination of all parts to guarantee maritime safety in Black Seaprotect the energy infrastructure and cooperate for the achievement of a peace that is lasting.
Among the crucial nodes of the agreements there is the common commitment to avoid the use of force and prevent the use of commercial ships for military purposes in the Black Sea. Furthermore, the importance of protecting energy infrastructures and involving third countries for the actual implementation of the agreements has been underlined. The press releases released by the White House for the Russian and Ukrainian part are identical, except on one point.
Here, therefore, in summary, the five points of the possible agreement:
- 1) “The United States (and Ukraine and Russia) have agreed, to ensure safe navigation, to eliminate the use of strength and prevent the use of commercial ships for military purposes on the Black Sea”.
- 2) “The United States (and Ukraine and Russia) agree on developing measures to complete the agreement that prohibits bombings on electrical power plants of Russia and Ukraine”. Therefore, no fire on civil infrastructure. There is talk of a period of 30 days, starting from March 18, 2025, “with the possibility of extension and withdrawal from the agreement in the event of non -compliance by one of the parties”.
- 3) “The United States (Russia and Ukraine) will continue to work to achieve the goal of lasting peace”
- 4) “The United States (Russia and Ukraine) appreciate the good offices of third countries to support the maintenance of agreements on energy and navigation”. The reference, Kiev said, is in Türkiye.
- 5th) “The United States will help to restore Russia access to the world market of agricultural and fertilizers, lower the costs of maritime insurance, expand access to ports and payment systems for that kind of transactions”
- 5b) “The United States and Ukraine agree that the United States will commit themselves to supporting the objective of the exchange of prisoners of war, the release of detained children and the return of Ukrainian children deported by force”.
Therefore significant differences emerge in the versions of the agreements presented in Moscow and Kiev. While with Russia he focused on the resumption of exports of agricultural and fertilizer productswith Ukraine, the emphasis was placed on the liberation of war prisoners and the repatriation of deported Ukrainian children. “The United States- reads the note- reiterated to both sides the imperative of President Donald J. Trump that the killings on both sides of the Russian conflict-Ukraine They must cease, as a necessary step to reach a lasting peace agreement. To this end, the United States will continue to facilitate negotiations between both sides to reach a peaceful resolution, in line with the agreements taken in Riyadh “.
However, one was not discussed: that is, the possible transfer of territories by Kiev.
The reactions of Ukraine
International reactions to the agreements have been immediate. The Kremlin has expressed opening to the continuation of the interviews, however conditioning further progress to the removal of the sanctions that afflict its banking sector and exports. On the other hand, the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky He expressed satisfaction with the proposed measures, reaffirming the importance of moving towards sustainable peace. “It is too early to say that it will work, but these were the right encounters, the right decisions, the right steps. Nobody can accuse Ukrainian of not moving towards sustainable peace after this,” he said Zelensky During a press conference in Kiev. Ukraine said it will do its “work” and respect the part of the agreements achieved with the United States. However, there is no shortage of criticism to restore the Russian agricultural export: “We believe – said the Ukrainian leader – that this is a weakening of the position and a weakening of the sanctions, in our opinion. We do not yet know the details of this item”.
Not only that. Kiev warned that if Moscow should break the truce in the Black Sea it would be ready to react. “All the movements of the Russian military ships outside the eastern part of the Black Sea will constitute a violation of the spirit of this agreement – said the Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov – will be considered a violation of the commitment to guarantee safe navigation in the Black Sea and a threat to the national security of theUkraine. In this case theUkraine He will have full right to exercise the right to self -defense “.
Meanwhile, tomorrow Zelensky is expected in Paris by Macron and hopes that on that occasion Europe will be clearer on the Peacekeeping mission. “Our task is to get to the result of understanding who we have and who is ready” to send soldiers to Ukraine, is the reasoning of the Ukrainian president.
Russia’s reactions
For its part, however, the Kremlin He has made it known that the safety agreement on the navigation on the Black Sea will come into force only after the withdrawal of sanctions on Russian agricultural exports and on some connected sectors.