Washington, 25 March 2025 (dpa/MIA) - Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a maritime ceasefire to secure shipping in the Black Sea, according to two White House statements published on Tuesday.

Both sides agreed to ensure the safety of civilian shipping, halt violence and prevent the use of commercial ships for military purposes, the statements said.

Representatives from the United States held separate talks with Russian and Ukrainian negotiators in the Saudi capital Riyadh over the last three days.

Ukrainian said Russian naval vessels would only be allowed in the eastern half of the Black Sea. If Russian warships appeared in the western half, Ukraine would exercise its right to self-defence.

The Russian side had earlier stated that there would be no joint statement following the talks because of Ukraine's position. Moscow did not provide further details.

Russia previously withdrew from the Black Sea Initiative brokered by Turkey and the UN in 2022 to facilitate Ukrainian grain exports following the outbreak of the war, because it felt that its own interests were not being safeguarded.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that a guarantee that Russia's grain and fertilizer shipments would not be attacked could only be given by a corresponding US order to the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The Russian delegation in Riyadh was led by Karasin, the head of the foreign affairs committee in the Russian Federation Council, and Sergey Beseda, a senior intelligence official and close confidant of President Vladimir Putin.

The US delegation included multiple teams, with both US Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg and US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz present, while Ukraine's chief negotiator, Andrii Yermak, also travelled to Saudi Arabia.

Photo: MIA Archive