The US and Russia are negotiating a ‘grain corridor’ in the Black Sea
Official representatives from the US and Russia have begun negotiations in Saudi Arabia aimed at achieving progress towards a large-scale ceasefire in Ukraine, particularly in the Black Sea. These talks commenced on March 24, 2025.
This is reported by AgroReview
On the American side, the negotiations involve Senior Director of the White House National Security Council Andrew Peek and State Department official Michael Anton. The White House emphasizes that the main goal of the meeting is to establish a maritime ceasefire regime that will allow for the free movement of vessels in the Black Sea.
The Russian representatives include former diplomat Grigory Karasin, who currently heads the Federation Council’s Foreign Affairs Committee, and Sergey Beseda, an advisor to the director of the FSB. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that the upcoming negotiations promise to be “difficult,” as Russia seeks to discuss the possible revival of the Black Sea grain initiative.
“There are a huge number of nuances. Previously, when Mr. (UN Secretary-General) Guterres acted as a guarantor of the Black Sea agreement, we fulfilled all our obligations, but the obligations to us were never fulfilled. Therefore, difficult negotiations lie ahead,” Peskov said.
Earlier, the spokesperson for the Ukrainian Armed Forces Navy, Dmitry Pletenchuk, mentioned on the FREEДOM TV channel that the discussions could involve a 30-day ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia, which includes the “grain corridor” in the Black Sea. According to him, a truce at sea is critically important for protecting port infrastructure, which is regularly subjected to shelling by Russian forces.
“In fact, the waters of the Black Sea are under the protection of the Ukrainian Defense Forces. This means we are in a more advantageous position than the Russians. However, the occupiers are obstructing civilian shipping in the Black Sea, so a ceasefire at sea is important in this context. For us, peace also means stopping the shelling of our port infrastructure,” Pletenchuk emphasized.