The Trump administration has successfully pushed Russia and Ukraine to reach separate agreements with the United States on a truce that will ensure safe passage on the Black Sea, along with a ban on either country conducting strikes on energy facilities.
“The United States and Russia have agreed to ensure safe navigation, eliminate the use of force, and prevent the use of commercial vessels for military purposes in the Black Sea,” the White House said in a statement.
Reuters reported that both countries have agreed to allow the United States to enforce the deals. Both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stressed that for the ceasefire to be successful, the United States needs to provide guarantees.
“If the Russians violate this, then I have a direct question for President Trump. If they violate, here is the evidence – we ask for sanctions, we ask for weapons, etc,” Zelensky said at a press conference.
Speaking for the Russians, Lavrov said, “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 Zelenskiy and his team to do one thing and not the other.”
The agreements, while not a total ceasefire, are the biggest steps taken toward a long-lasting peace deal since Russia invaded Ukraine over three years ago. The separate agreements were mediated by U.S. officials in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, after President Donald Trump spoke to both Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin last week.
In the agreement, the Trump administration promised to help Russia gain access to markets for agricultural exports after numerous countries hit the Russians with sanctions following the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine. The White House added that President Trump will continue “working toward achieving a durable and lasting peace.”
“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,” the White House added. “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.”
Since taking office, Trump has made it one of his top foreign policy priorities to bring an end to the war in Ukraine. Last month, Trump and Vice President JD Vance ripped Zelensky in the Oval Office on national TV. During the meeting, Trump told the Ukrainian leader, “You don’t have the cards right now. With us, you start having cards. You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people. You’re gambling with World War III, and what you’re doing is very disrespectful to the country.”
