Zelenskyy: US-Russia agreement easing access to global markets weakens sanctions targeting Moscow

Kyiv views the US agreement to facilitate Russia's access to global markets for agricultural products and fertilisers as a weakening of sanctions against Moscow.

Source: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a conversation with journalists on Tuesday 25 March, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Notably, this assistance to Russia is outlined in a US statement following talks between Moscow and Washington in Saudi Arabia. Specifically, the statement mentions that the United States will "help restore Russia’s access to the world market for agricultural and fertiliser exports".

Following the US talks with Ukraine and separately with Russia in Riyadh, the US administration released two nearly identical statements. However, the second paragraph, which tackles the issue of Russian agricultural products and fertilisers, appears only in the statement on negotiations with Russia and is absent from the one concerning Ukraine.

President Zelenskyy explained that the statements differed because Ukraine could not agree to such a concession to Russia. "This issue was not on the agenda before the meeting. As far as we know, the Russians raised the issue of the US side's assistance to the Russians in transporting their agricultural products... We did not agree to have this in our common statement," he said.

He added that this is "a weakening of positions and easing of sanctions". However, the president noted that Ukraine does not know the details of this point, as Ukrainian officials were not present at the US-Russia meeting.

"[Ukraine's Defence Minister Rustem] Umierov contacted me. I stated that easing certain restrictions on Russian agricultural products is not the same as discussing an unconditional ceasefire or even a partial one – whether in the air or at sea," Zelenskyy said.

Background:

• After discussions in Saudi Arabia on 25 March, the delegations from the United States, Ukraine and Russia reached an agreement to work towards a truce in the Black Sea and a ban on strikes targeting energy infrastructure.
• However, Ukraine's Defence Minister Rustem Umierov noted that further technical consultations are required to put these agreements into action. 

Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!