US‑Russia to rekindle Black Sea grain deal talks
On Monday in Saudi Arabia, delegations from Russia and the United States are set to hold talks. The Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, announced that the main topic will be the reestablishment of the Black Sea Initiative.
Peskov stated that on Monday, "mainly" discussions will focus on "President Vladimir Putin's agreement" to restore the operation of the "so-called Black Sea initiative." "Our negotiators will be ready to discuss the nuances around this problem, and there are a huge number of them," he added, as quoted by the Russian agency Interfax.
This initiative was, according to the Kremlin, also the subject of a phone conversation between the leaders of the United States and Russia, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, conducted on March 18.
The 2022 agreement that Russia broke
The Black Sea Grain Initiative was agreed upon in July 2022 with mediation from Turkey and the UN. This endeavor allowed, despite the war, the export of nearly 36 million short tons of Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea. Russia withdrew from the initiative after a year, claiming that the export of its food and fertilizers faced serious difficulties.
The White House reported that Trump and Putin agreed on March 18 to technical negotiations regarding introducing a ceasefire in the Black Sea, as well as a complete ceasefire and lasting peace.
