Russia and Ukraine agree to Black Sea ceasefire, US says

The White House has just published two readouts from its talks with Russia and Ukraine, effectively announcing an agreement for a ceasefire at sea “to ensure safe navigation, eliminate the use of force, and prevent the use of commercial vessels for military purposes in the Black Sea.”

It also said the two countries agreed to “develop measures for implementing” the earlier agreement to stop strikes against energy infrastructure, both statements said, reports The Guardian.

Ukraine and Russia will also “continue working toward achieving a durable and lasting peace,” the statements read.

In the Ukraine-specific readout, the White House also said the US confirmed it “remains committed to helping achieve the exchange of prisoners of war, the release of civilian detainees, and the return of forcibly transferred Ukrainian children.”

The Russia-specific document noted that the US would help “restore Russia’s access to the world market for agricultural and fertiliser exports, lower maritime insurance costs, and enhance access to ports and payment systems for such transactions.”

Both versions ended stressing that “the United States reiterated President Donald J. Trump’s imperative that the killing on both sides of the Russia-Ukraine conflict must stop, as the necessary step toward achieving an enduring peace settlement.”

“To that end, the United States will continue facilitating negotiations between both sides to achieve a peaceful resolution, in line with the agreements made in Riyadh,” they said.