U.S.-Russia Talks in Saudi Arabia Aim to Ensure Black Sea Shipping Safety and Facilitate Peace Efforts

U.S. and Russian representatives engaged in discussions regarding a potential agreement on navigation safety between Russia and Ukraine in the Black Sea during their meeting in Saudi Arabia earlier this week, as reported by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to state media on Tuesday.

The White House confirmed that the Riyadh talks, which took place on Monday, aimed to establish a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea, forming part of a broader diplomatic initiative that Washington hopes will lead to peace negotiations.

Lavrov remarked that the conclusions of the discussions have now been conveyed to the presidents of both Russia and the United States via state broadcaster Channel One.

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, an agreement mediated by the UN and Turkey—known as the Black Sea Grain Initiative—was established, facilitating safe grain exports from Ukraine.

However, Russia withdrew from this agreement a year later, citing breaches of its conditions. Subsequently, Ukraine created its own export corridor in the Black Sea, utilizing significant military actions to push the Russian Navy out of disputed waters.

According to Lavrov, any new arrangement in the Black Sea, intended to reduce restrictions on Russian agricultural exports, would require the United States to «instruct» Ukraine to accept it.

The seasoned diplomat emphasized that Russia is in favor of resuming shipping in the Black Sea “in a manner that is more acceptable to all parties” and called for “precise, specific, verifiable, and functional guarantees and mechanisms.”

“Clear assurances will be necessary for Russia to reinstate the Black Sea initiative, which can only materialize through directives from Washington to President [Volodymyr] Zelensky of Ukraine,” Lavrov stated.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Kremlin indicated it was not yet prepared to publicly share the particulars of the Saudi talks.

“It is now about technical negotiations,” commented Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov to reporters. “Technical signifies discussions that examine the specifics; therefore, the substance of these negotiations will certainly remain confidential.”

Peskov also mentioned that Kremlin officials were “evaluating” reports generated by Russian delegates who participated in the Riyadh discussions, adding that only after this analysis would any further understanding be possible.

Following the conclusion of talks with Russian representatives, Ukrainian and U.S. officials met in Saudi Arabia, as reported by AFP, citing a Ukrainian source that indicated “details will be revealed later.”