US brokers truce between Russia, Ukraine; pushes for sanctions relief

The United States has brokered separate deals with Russia and Ukraine to pause attacks on energy targets and in the Black Sea, with Washington also agreeing to push for easing sanctions on Moscow.

The agreements, reached on Tuesday, represent the first formal commitments from both sides since President Donald Trump took office and highlight his continued efforts to bring an end to the war in Ukraine, a move that has sparked concerns in Kyiv and across Europe.

The US deal with Russia is more extensive than the one with Ukraine. In addition to halting attacks on energy targets, Washington has committed to help lift international sanctions on Russian agriculture and fertilizer exports—longstanding demands of the Kremlin.

Following the announcement of the agreements, the Kremlin made it clear that the Black Sea security deal would only take effect if certain Russian banks were reinstated within the international financial system, a condition that Ukraine disagrees with.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy responded by insisting that the agreements did not require sanctions relief to come into effect and would take immediate effect, accusing Moscow of attempting to "manipulate" the terms of the deal.

Both sides expressed reliance on Washington to enforce the terms of the agreements, but each remained skeptical about the other’s commitment.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov emphasized the need for “clear guarantees,” stating that any assurances could only come from Washington.

Zelenskiy, on the other hand, warned that if Russia violated the agreements, Ukraine would ask Trump to impose additional sanctions and provide more weapons.

Despite the agreements, both Russia and Ukraine accused each other of launching drone attacks in the aftermath, though no reports of significant damage to the Black Sea or energy targets emerged.

In an interview with Newsmax, Trump acknowledged that Russia could be attempting to delay the end of the conflict but expressed optimism that the peace efforts would ultimately succeed, despite the “tremendous animosity” in negotiations.

The agreements were reached after parallel talks in Saudi Arabia and a series of phone calls between Trump and the leaders of Ukraine and Russia. If fully implemented, they could mark the first significant step toward a broader ceasefire in the ongoing war that began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine three years ago.

While Trump had proposed a 30-day ceasefire, which Ukraine had previously supported, Putin rejected this suggestion. Trump remained hopeful, telling reporters on Tuesday, “There’s a lot of hatred, but it allows for mediation and arbitration, and I think it will work.”

In recent days, Washington has softened its rhetoric toward Russia, with Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff stating that he did not view Russian President Vladimir Putin as a “bad guy.” This shift has alarmed European officials, who view Putin as a dangerous adversary.

The agreements also include a pause on attacks against energy infrastructure, with Russia agreeing to halt strikes for 30 days starting from March 18, when the truce was first discussed between Trump and Putin.

The Kremlin has indicated that the deal could be extended. Ukraine had stated that it would only accept such a pause if formalized in an official agreement.

Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s power grid have been a major part of the conflict, with Kyiv launching long-range strikes on Russian oil and gas facilities in retaliation. The pause in energy-related attacks aims to reduce damage to both countries’ energy sectors, which have been heavily targeted during the war.

The Black Sea maritime security agreement, also a major component of the deals, addresses a critical issue from the early stages of the war. Russia’s naval blockade of Ukraine, one of the world’s largest grain exporters, had worsened the global food crisis. However, following successful Ukrainian attacks, Russia withdrew its naval forces from the eastern Black Sea, and Ukrainian ports have resumed operations.

Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov warned that any movement of Russian military vessels outside the eastern Black Sea would be viewed as a violation of the deal, justifying Ukraine’s right to self-defense.

Moscow, however, insists that the agreement’s success depends on sanctions relief, including the restoration of links between Russia’s agricultural export bank and the international SWIFT payment system, a condition that may require approval from European countries.

As the situation unfolds, both Russia and Ukraine will be watching closely to see if Washington can enforce these fragile agreements and whether further steps can be taken toward achieving a lasting peace.