Ukraine and Russia, together with Turkey, have been negotiating for two months on an agreement on the safety of navigation in the Black Sea, which was to be announced at the end of March. Reuters writes about this with reference to its own sources, UNN reports.
Details
The agency, citing four sources, claims that the agreement between Kyiv and Moscow was ready and was to be announced by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on March 30, the day before the local elections in Turkey.
But, the newspaper claims, Ukraine "unexpectedly withdrew from the negotiations at the last minute." The reason for this step is unknown.
The draft agreement, seen by Reuters, stipulated that Moscow and Kyiv would provide security guarantees to merchant ships in the Black Sea, pledging not to strike, seize or search them if they were either empty or declared non-military cargo.
The Black Sea is a key route for both Russia and Ukraine to deliver bulk commodities such as grain, fertilizers, and oil to world markets, although shipping volumes have declined significantly since the war.