US reviewing Russia’s Black Sea ceasefire terms, including sanctions relief: Rubio

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that Russia’s demands for a ceasefire in Black Sea are under review.

After the White House on Tuesday said that the United States and Russia had reached an understanding for a ceasefire in Black Sea, Russia junked the understanding within hours and said that such a ceasefire was conditional on the fulfilment of certain demands.

The Kremlin said that the ceasefire would only come into effect once sanctions on a Russian bank and a host of financial institutions and companies are lifted. It further demanded restoration of Russia’s access to the SWIFT payment system.

In its statements, the White House had not mentioned these demands by Russia. It had simply said 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”. With his remarks on Wednesday, Rubio has confirmed that Kremlin’s demands are under consideration.

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“Obviously, after our meeting (in Saudi Arabia), as part of their release, the Russians detailed a number of conditions that they want to see met in order to do that so we’re going to evaluate that,” said Rubio in Jamaica.

Rubio further said that the Trump administration would work to “more fully understand what the Russian position is, or what they’re asking in exchange, and then we’ll present that to the President (Trump)” and decide next steps. He further acknowledged that some of the sanctions that Russia wants to be lifted are outside of US control as they have been imposed by the European Union (EU).

ALSO READ: Is the Black Sea truce beginning of end of US sanctions on Russia?

While Russia had been facing sanctions since 2014 when it first invaded Ukraine and annexed Crimea, sanctions have been piled on the country since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. These restrictions, coupled with other coordinated actions short of sanctions, have restricted Russia’s access to international market, international financial systems, and have affected its trade of agricultural and energy products.

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The Kremlin has sought the lifting of sanctions on Russian Agricultural Bank and other financial institutions involved in the international trade of food and fertilisers. It has further sought the lifting of restrictions on insurance companies from working with Russia for trade of food and fertilisers, lifting of restrictions on servicing of Russian ships engaged in food and fertiliser trade, and lifting of restrictions on supplies of agricultural machinery to Russia.

This is at least the third instance where Russia has agreed to a US-backed, Ukraine-endorsed ceasefore in principle but has essentially junked by making it conditional upon demands that cannot be immediately fulfilled.

Firstly, Russian leader Vladimir Putin accepted in principle a 30-day ceasefire that emerged from the first round of US-Ukraine talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, but laid down a host of maximalist demands for it to come into effect. Then, Russia in principle agreed to a US-backed, Ukraine-endorsed proposal to halt attacks for 30-days on energy infrastructure, but has not yet finalised its modalities and the halt is yet to come into effect.