Russia and Ukraine had been negotiating with Turkey for two months on a deal to secure shipping in the Black Sea and had agreed on a text that Ankara would announce, but Kyiv suddenly withdrew, four people familiar with the matter told Reuters. .
The talks were brokered by Turkey, facilitated by the United Nations, said the source, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of such talks.
An agreement was reached in March to “ensure the security of merchant ships in the Black Sea,” and although Ukraine did not want to formally sign the agreement, Kyiv agreed to the agreement announced by Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan the day before on March 30, sources said. , key regional elections.
“At the last minute, Ukraine suddenly pulled out and the deal fell through,” one source said.
Three other people confirmed their version of events. Russia, Ukraine and Türkiye declined to comment.
It is unclear why Ukraine withdrew. People who spoke to Reuters said they did not know what prompted Kyiv to make the decision.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in February that Ukraine would not be able to defend the Black Sea shipping corridor on the western coast of the Black Sea near Romania and Bulgaria without new U.S. military aid.
The never-before-reported talks on the shipping deal offer a glimpse into the quiet diplomacy taking place behind closed doors to get the warring sides to negotiate, even if only initially, over merchant shipping.
Asked to comment on the Reuters report, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said: “We remain hopeful that freedom of navigation in the Black Sea will be achieved.”
Turkey and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres have been trying for months to allow commercial ships to sail more freely in the Black Sea. Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, certain areas of the Black Sea have been turned into naval theaters.
The Black Sea is a key route for Russia and Ukraine to ship bulk products such as grain, fertilizer and oil to world markets, although shipping volumes have dropped significantly since the war.
Russia-Ukraine talks
The text of the agreement seen by Reuters stated that “as part of mediation efforts,” Turkey has reached an agreement with Ukraine and Russia on the Montreux Strait Regime Convention on “ensuring the free and safe navigation of merchant ships in the Black Sea.”
The 1936 agreement gave Turkey control of the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits and the authority to regulate the transit of naval warships.
It also guarantees the free passage of civilian vessels in peacetime and restricts the passage of vessels not belonging to the Black Sea countries.
Under the deal, announced virtually on March 30, both Moscow and Kiev will provide security guarantees to Black Sea merchant ships, pledging not to attack, seize or search them as long as they are empty or have declared a non-military purpose. goods.
“These guarantees do not apply to warships and civilian ships carrying military supplies (except for maritime transport agreed by both parties within the framework of international missions),” the draft agreement said.
“The Republic of Turkey notifies the Secretary-General of the United Nations that the agreement has been reached and is being implemented through the mediation of the Republic of Turkey,” the draft said. “The agreement will enter into force as soon as it is announced.”
Turkey and the United Nations helped mediate the Black Sea Food Initiative, an agreement reached in July 2022 that allowed nearly 33 million tons of Ukrainian food to be safely exported to the Black Sea.
Russia withdrew from the agreement in July 2023, complaining that its exports of grain and fertilizer faced serious obstacles.
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