Russia has stated that certain Western sanctions need to be lifted before a maritime ceasefire with Ukraine can begin.
Hours after the U.S. announced that both parties had agreed to halt attacks in the Black Sea under separate agreements, the Kremlin said this would only happen once sanctions on a number of Russian banks are lifted.
The demands include the removal of sanctions on the state-owned agricultural bank Rosselkhozbank and the restoration of firms’ access to the international payment system, Swift.
Overnight, Moscow launched a drone attack on the port city of Mykolaiv, Ukrainian officials said, with President Volodymyr Zelensky claiming the attacks were “a clear signal” that Russia does not want peace.
After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the EU and its allies suspended access to Swift for several Russian financial institutions.
The goal was to deprive Russian companies of access to the normal, swift, and immediate transactions offered by Swift, cutting off payments for its valuable energy and agricultural exports.
Reversing this decision would require the EU’s approval, a move that seems uncertain in light of recent European statements supporting Kyiv.
On Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that Russia may be attempting to delay the end of the war.
“I think Russia wants to see an end to it, but they may be dragging it out. I have done this over the years,” he said in an interview with Newsmax.
The maritime ceasefire was announced by the U.S. after three days of peace talks in Saudi Arabia.
However, Kyiv and Moscow later issued contradictory statements about the details of the agreement, including when and how it would begin.
