Russia and Putin · Second term · № 103

On Russia

Said U.S. was "looking at" Kremlin conditions for sanctions relief in a Black Sea agreement

“They will be looking at them, and we're thinking about all of them right now. There are about five or six conditions. We're looking at all of them.”
Said
, Exchange with reporters at the White House
Subject
Black Sea agreement
Type
Sanctions and pressure
Topic
Ukraine & Russia
Era
Second term

What happened

After talks with Russian officials in Riyadh on March 23-25, 2025, the White House said the two countries had agreed to ensure safe navigation in the Black Sea and that the United States "will help restore Russia's access to the world market for agricultural and fertilizer exports, lower maritime insurance costs, and enhance access to ports and payment systems for such transactions." The Kremlin said the halt on the use of force at sea would take effect only after sanctions were lifted on Rosselkhozbank, Russia's state agricultural lender, and other financial institutions, and after they were reconnected to the SWIFT payments system, RFE/RL reported. A reporter asked Trump whether the United States had agreed to those conditions, and he gave the answer quoted above. Zelensky criticized aspects of the U.S.-Russia agreement. RFE/RL reported that reconnection to SWIFT might depend on European Union approval.

Sources

  1. Remarks at a Document Signing Ceremony and Meeting With United States Ambassadorial Nominees and an Exchange With Reporters The American Presidency Project, Mar 25, 2025
  2. Outcomes of the United States and Russia Expert Groups on the Black Sea in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia March 23-25, 2025 The American Presidency Project, Mar 25, 2025
  3. Key Takeaways From The US Talks With Ukraine And Russia In Riyadh RFE/RL, Mar 25, 2025