During the talks in Saudi Arabia, Ukraine defined the sectors for the Russian navy beyond which it cannot cross in the Black Sea.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umierov reported that as part of the agreements with the United States, all parties agreed to ensure safe navigation.

Ukraine and Russia must also stop using force and prevent the use of commercial vessels for military purposes in the Black Sea. At the same time, the Ukrainian side emphasizes that Russia’s movement of its warships beyond the eastern part of the Black Sea will be considered a violation of this agreement.

“This will be seen as a violation of the obligations to ensure freedom of navigation in the Black Sea and a threat to Ukraine’s national security. In this case, Ukraine will have the full right to self-defense,” Rustem Umierov stated.

Also, all parties agreed to implement the Presidents’ agreements on a complete ban on strikes on the energy infrastructure of Ukraine and Russia.

“All parties welcome the involvement of third countries to provide support for implementing the energy and maritime agreements,” the Minister noted.

The United States has reaffirmed its support for the exchange of prisoners of war, the release of civilian detainees, and the return of forcibly removed Ukrainian children.

To ensure the effective implementation of the agreements, additional technical consultations will be held to agree on all the details and technical aspects of the implementation, monitoring, and control of the agreements.

Negotiations in Saudi Arabia

On March 23, Ukrainian and American delegations met in Riyadh. In particular, the parties discussed the security of energy and infrastructure facilities. Defense Minister Rustem Umierov shared that “the discussion was productive and focused.”

A ship with grain. Photo credits: media.slovoidilo.ua

On March 24, the delegations of Russia and the United States also held talks in Saudi Arabia. They were held behind closed doors. Journalists were asked to leave the territory of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel, where they were taking place. According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, today, the US and Russian representatives discussed the “grain initiative” to ensure the safety of navigation. On March 25, the US and Ukrainian delegations concluded their second meeting in Saudi Arabia.

Despite these agreements, Ukrainian vessels have been operating from Ukrainian ports for quite some time. The sea is the only area where Ukraine has seized the strategic initiative thanks to new military technologies that prevent the Russian fleet from safely navigating the Black Sea.

To strengthen these capabilities, the Ukrainian company Military Armored Company HUB has recently developed a multi-purpose maritime strike drone called Katran.