When talks on the possibility of a ceasefire in Ukraine resume on Monday, the safety of Black Sea navigation will be on the agenda, according to both Ukraine and Russia.
On Monday, U.S. officials will be meeting with a Ukrainian delegation in Riyadh, then separately with a Russian delegation. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told media on Thursday to expect “some shuttle diplomacy” as the Trump administration attempts to negotiate a maritime ceasefire deal.
Yuri Ushakov, aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, said that the talks would include a discussion of the safety of shipping in the Black Sea. A conversation about sponsoring a safe navigation corridor began during Tuesday’s phone call between Putin and Trump, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
“There’re a lot of nuances there, which need to be discussed. Hence, [negotiations would be necessary] to discuss these nuances, among other things,” Peskov told Interfax.
Russian attacks on merchant vessels in Odesa have recently resumed after a long lull; despite Ukraine’s success in deterring the Russian Black Sea Fleet with drone and missile strikes, the Odesa port complex remains in range of Russian ballistic missile attacks.
The most recent strike occurred last week, and reportedly