Russia and Ukraine Agree to Black Sea Ceasefire Following Talks With Trump Admin

What Happened?

Russian and Ukrainian officials agreed on Tuesday to a Black Sea ceasefire following talks with the Trump administration in Saudi Arabia.

The White House announced that the agreement will 'ensure safe navigation, eliminate the use of force, and prevent the use of commercial vessels for military purposes.'

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov confirmed moments later that 'all parties have agreed' to ensure this ceasefire measure.

He also emphasized that all movement by Russia of its military vessels outside of the eastern part of the Black Sea would constitute a violation.

'In this case, Ukraine will have full right to exercise [the] right to self-defense,' Umerov added.

The Kremlin reportedly suggested Tuesday it may not be willing to fully enforce the ceasefire until it is admitted back into the SWIFT international banking system.

Some are questioning the actual success of the talks.

Why it Matters

U.S. officials met with Russian representatives in Riyadh just one day after holding separate talks with Kyiv.

Key talks were held to bring forth the maritime ceasefire to ensure the safety of commercial shipping, which remains vital for exports.

Russia had reportedly moved its Black Sea fleet away from Sevastopol while continuing strikes on Ukrainian ports.

It's been a struggle with both sides continuing aerial attacks despite Moscow and Ukrainian officials agreeing in principle to a 30-day ceasefire.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told reporters he would like to see infrastructure like railways and ports protected in these efforts.

The Kremlin declared its previous agreement covered 'energy infrastructure.'

Russia and Ukraine recently damaged each other's infrastructure just hours after President Vladimir Putin spoke with Trump during a previous call.

Trump stated after a more recent call with Zelenskyy that the U.S. was 'very much on track' with both countries.

The Black Sea ceasefire agreement can be viewed as a small win for the Trump administration in its efforts to help bring peace to both nations.

The Trump administration believes that 'dividing up certain assets,' including land and power plants, would be a proposition that leads to a successful truce agreement.

How it Affects You

Moscow still seeks 'ironclad' guarantees in any peace deal that NATO nations exclude Kyiv from membership.

According to reports, Russia fired 139 more Iran-designed Shahed drones into Ukraine overnight into Tuesday.

The Trump administration still believes that 'dividing up certain assets,' including land and power plants, would be a proposition that leads to a successful truce agreement.

Neither side mentioned security guarantees for Ukraine or efforts to regain land seized by Russia.

But things appear to still be moving in the right direction; to reduce mass casualties and bring an end to the three-year-old war.