Moscow says it is ready to revive the Black Sea Grain Initiative (part of the ceasefire ceasefire contract) if long-standing demands for sanctions relief are met.
News Analysis
Last week, US and Russian officials held marathon talks in Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh, with the aim of signing a ceasefire agreement between Russia and Ukraine in the Black Sea.
After the talks, the White House appeared ready to prepare certain restrictions on Russian agriculture and fertilizer exports (Russian long-standing demand) as part of the Black Sea suspension agreement.
“It seems pretty clear that the US administration is seeking ways to provide relief from Russian sanctions as part of some kind of agreement to end Russia’s war with Ukraine,” Ambassador Matthew Blyza, a former White House senior State Department official, told the Epoch Times.
The US also said “it will help Russia’s access to global markets for agricultural and fertilizer exports, reduce maritime insurance costs, and enhance access to ports and payment systems for such transactions.”
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However, unlike US statements, the Kremlin said both sides agreed to “providing implementation of the Black Sea initiative.”
The now-abolized Black Sea Grain Initiative (BSGI), which allowed Ukraine to export grains through the Black Sea, was first intermediated by the United Nations and Turkey in the summer of 2022.
“Unfortunately, some of the agreements relating to Russia are not yet met,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said when the contract expired on July 17, 2023.
“As a result, it’s finished.”
During the year this transaction was implemented, Ukraine was able to export tens of millions of tons of grain to international buyers despite its continued hostility with Russia.
However, from the beginning, Moscow complained that it was not properly implemented in the form of the second part (MOU) of the transaction in the form of a memorandum of Understanding with Russia.
However, while BSGI continued to exist, Moscow repeatedly accused Brussels and Washington of continuing to interfere with agricultural exports for allegedly violating the terms of the transaction.
In a statement on March 25, the Kremlin said the sought-after Black Sea ceasefire will only be realized if restrictions are lifted by Rosselhozbank (Russian Agricultural Bank).
It also called for the removal of sanctions imposed on (Russian) companies that produce and export food, and the removal of fertilizers and fertilizers (and) restrictions imposed on trade finance operations (and).
The Kremlin also called for the sanctions to be lifted on Russian-style vessels loaded with food and fertilizer, allowing Russia to import agricultural tools.
“Justice should be fulfilled this time,” he told reporters on March 26, adding that he would “continue working with Americans.”
On the same day, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington would “evaluate” Moscow’s demands.
“After our meeting (in Riyadh)… the Russians detailed the many conditions they wanted to meet… so we will appreciate it,” he told reporters.
US officials “wanted to have a more complete understanding of what Russia’s position was or what they were looking for in exchange and then presented it to the president,” Rubio added, referring to President Donald Trump.
According to Bliza, the US currently supports “Russian exports from the Black Sea, particularly promoting fertilizer and grain.”
“This could include removing sanctions from Russian agricultural banks,” said Briza, who sits on the board of the Washington-based Jamestown Foundation, dedicated to defence policy issues.
On October 31, 2022, waiting to pass through the Bosporus Strait from the Bosporus coast from the Yenicapi coast in Istanbul, Turkey, is awaiting a commercial vessel, part of the Black Sea grain trade. uit bektas/reuters/file photo
Europe will dig
In response to the situation in Russia, Ukrainian President Voldy Mieselensky accused Moscow of working on a future ceasefire agreement for additional demands for relief from sanctions.
“They are bringing up conditions for sanctions on the US,” he told reporters in Paris on March 26, saying they hope that US negotiators will “support strongly” against Russia’s demands.
“We have shown resilience. It’s very important that our partners are at least as resilient as us.”
“…The unconditional withdrawal of all Russian troops from all Ukrainian territory will be one of the main prerequisites for amending or lifting sanctions,” said Anitta Hipper, EU spokeswoman for foreign and security policy.
However, this remains a non-starter for Moscow, effectively annexing four regions in eastern Ukraine in 2022, and now considers it to be the region of the Russian Federation.
“Now is not the time to lift sanctions,” Starge said after meeting European leaders in Paris.
“It’s exactly the opposite.”
According to Bliza, “There is no way to resolve the impasse with Russia, which demands sanctions relief…and the EU, which refuses to provide sanctions relief unless Russia fully withdraws its power from Ukraine.”
Bliza said Russian President Vladimir Putin is “trying to capitalize on the division of Washington and its European allies, while also trying to narrow as much from the US as possible.”
“I don’t think Putin wants to stop the fight,” Bliza said. “He made it clear that even before he invaded Ukraine, he had not eased the demands that he made clear.”
Former Turkish Russian ambassador, Khalil Akinki, said it is unlikely that European objections will be taken into account if the US administration decides to lift sanctions against Russia.
“Trump doesn’t have to convince Europeans. He’s not playing according to the rules,” Akinsi told the Epoch Times. “If he could do that, he would do that.
“And more, America holds the key to a quick payment system that is fast enough to remove many sanctions.”
Turkey originally supported BSGI’s intermediary in 2022, but this time it doesn’t play a similar role, Akinsi said.
“Turkey is very busy right now,” he said. Last week he mentioned the ongoing protest that began after the mayor of Istanbul’s opposition party was detained by Turkish authorities.
Reuters contributed to this report.
