ISTANBUL

Russia and the US are discussing a new agreement as part of efforts to revive the Black Sea Initiative, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Thursday in Moscow.

“The outlines of a new agreement are currently under discussion,” ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated during a briefing, referring to recent Russian-American talks in Riyadh.

Following expert consultations between the two sides in the Saudi capital, the Kremlin announced that both countries had agreed to ensure the implementation of the Black Sea Initiative.

The deal aims to guarantee safe maritime navigation and prevent the use of commercial ships for military purposes.

However, Moscow reiterated that it would not return to the original grain deal unless Western sanctions on Russian ships and agricultural equipment are lifted.

'Peacekeeping mission' in Ukraine

Zakharova also criticized Western countries for what she described as plans for a military intervention in Ukraine under the guise of a peacekeeping mission.

“London and Paris continue to nurture the idea of a military intervention in Ukraine, disguising it as a ‘peacekeeping’ mission,” she said, referring to a March 21 meeting in Northwood, UK, reportedly held at the initiative of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

According to Zakharova, the meeting gathered top military officials from around 30 countries of a so-called “coalition of the willing” to discuss sending troops to Ukraine.

She noted that similar discussions were set to continue in Paris, warning that such steps could lead to a direct confrontation between Russia and NATO.

“We are categorically against such a scenario, which is fraught with a direct clash between Russia and NATO,” she stressed.

Zakharova also claimed that the UK was intentionally pushing Europe toward escalation, saying British officials were considering deploying unidentifiable troops without insignia.

The UK and France have not publicly confirmed any plans for a peacekeeping deployment to Ukraine.

The original Black Sea Grain Initiative, brokered in 2022, allowed Ukrainian grain exports via the Black Sea during the war but collapsed in 2023 after Russia’s withdrawal, citing unmet obligations.