Russia has rejected the proposal to cease fire in the Black Sea.
Moscow stated that such an agreement would allow Kyiv to temporarily "catch its breath," and that there is currently no basis for a moratorium.
Russia did not support the proposal to cease fire with Ukraine in the Black Sea. Moscow stated that there is no basis for an agreement that would allow Kyiv a temporary “breathing space.” Reuters reported this.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that Ukraine is carrying out attacks against civilian vessels in the Black Sea, describing this as a policy aimed at destabilizing the situation in the region and prolonging the conflict.
Zakharova noted that Russia does not see any signs of the situation improving. Therefore, Moscow believes there is no basis for adopting “half measures.”
The Russian Foreign Ministry official made this statement in response to Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan’s remarks that proposals had been sent to Russia and Ukraine regarding the introduction of a moratorium on military operations in the Black Sea. Zakharova said that Russia had not received such an official proposal from Turkey.
Earlier, Reuters reported that Ukraine, through third-party mediation, had sent Russia a proposal for both sides to halt attacks on civilian targets in the Black Sea.
Moscow also rejected the possibility of returning to the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which was brokered by Turkey in 2022–2023.
Russia considers this agreement one-sided. The deal effectively ceased after Russia stated that Ukraine and the West had not fulfilled the terms of the agreement.
It has been noted that in recent weeks, Russia and Ukraine have intensified attacks against commercial vessels in the Black Sea, which has led to rising grain prices on the global market.
