The sea became a key battleground for fighting between Russia and Ukraine after Moscow invaded its neighbor in early 2022.
There is a « potential » agreement on the table in ceasefire talks between the U.S., Ukraine and Russia on the Black Sea, U.S. President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, said on Sunday.Why It Matters
Witkoff, one of the senior Trump officials tasked with brokering a deal between Kyiv and Moscow to end more than three years of war, met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday in the Russian capital.
The U.S. and Ukraine both agreed to White House-proposed terms for a 30-day ceasefire last week. The U.S., Ukraine and global leaders who have supported Ukraine then said the ball was firmly in Russia’s court.
Putin said on Thursday he agreed with the idea of a ceasefire, but added that a deal needed to « remove the root causes » of the war. It isn’t clear what the Kremlin leader was referring to.
Ukraine’s leader, Volodymyr Zelensky, said Putin’s response was « highly predictable and manipulative », and that Russia was « preparing to reject » a ceasefire.What to Know
Witkoff told CBS on Sunday there are « regions that we all know the Russians are focused on », adding that talks must address nuclear reactors and « access to ports. »
« There’s the Black Sea potential agreement », he said. Witkoff did not elaborate further on what was being discussed around the Black Sea.
The Black Sea has been a key battleground area for Russia and Ukraine throughout the war. Ukraine’s navy does not have any large warships, but has worked alongside the other branches of Kyiv’s military and security agencies to menace Russia’s Black Sea Fleet based close to Ukraine’s southern coastline.
