The U.S. has reached a preliminary agreement with Ukraine and Russia to halt Black Sea hostilities and safeguard commercial navigation, but key details remain unresolved, with the Kremlin demanding sanctions relief as part of the deal.
The breakthrough came after three days of separate U.S. negotiations with Ukrainian and Russian delegations in Saudi Arabia.
While a comprehensive peace remains elusive, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the talks "initial steps" toward a long-term cease-fire and a sustainable resolution to the three-year war.
The White House announced that both sides agreed to prevent the use of force, allow safe passage for vessels and avoid utilizing commercial ships for military purposes.
However, Moscow has tied its compliance to lifting restrictions on the Russian Agricultural Bank, restoring access to SWIFT, and easing export curbs on food, fertilizer and agricultural equipment.
"We are making a lot of progress," U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday. "That's all I can report."
Russia withdrew from a similar U.N.- and Türkiye-brokered shipping pact in 2023, citing unfulfilled promises to ease trade barriers on its food exports.
Since then, Moscow has launched repeated strikes on Ukraine’s ports and grain facilities. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov signaled a willingness to restore the arrangement but insisted Russian interests must be safeguarded.
Putin’s envoy Kirill Dmitriev called the talks a "major shift toward peace" and praised Trump’s diplomatic approach.
However, Zelenskyy rejected Russia’s demands for sanctions relief, warning that conceding would weaken Ukraine’s position.
A broader cease-fire remains out of reach, but Trump, Putin and Zelenskyy have agreed to halt attacks on energy infrastructure. Despite this, both sides continue to launch missile and drone strikes.
The Kremlin on Tuesday published a list of energy facilities protected under a 30-day strike ban, effective March 18, while warning that violations could trigger an opt-out.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov cautioned that any Russian naval presence in the western Black Sea would be viewed as a "threat to Ukraine’s national security."
Trump hinted at considering Russia’s conditions but suggested Putin may be stalling. "I think Russia wants an end to this, but maybe they’re dragging their feet," he told Newsmax. "I've done it in real estate. Sometimes you stay in the game without committing."
Fighting rages on despite diplomatic overtures. Russia’s Defense Ministry accused Ukraine of targeting its energy grid, including a high-voltage power line linked to the Rostov nuclear plant and a gas distribution station in Luhansk.
Meanwhile, a Ukrainian missile strike in Luhansk reportedly killed six people, including three Russian journalists.
Ukraine also endured a brutal overnight assault, with Russia launching 139 drones across seven regions.
Ukrainian forces intercepted 56, but Mykolaiv suffered emergency power outages, and Kryvyi Rih saw multiple explosions, setting buildings ablaze. "Apparently, this is how the occupiers 'want peace,'" Mykolaiv’s military chief Oleksandr Vilkul posted on Telegram.
Zelenskyy remains open to Trump’s proposed full 30-day cease-fire but insists Ukraine will not halt military mobilization or arms supplies – conditions Moscow demands for a lasting truce.
Meanwhile, the Russian Foreign Ministry refused to surrender control of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, Europe’s largest, which it seized early in the war. Trump suggested Ukraine consider transferring ownership of its power plants to the U.S. for "long-term security."
