US President Donald Trump said he believes Russia wants to end its war with Ukraine but may be “dragging its feet” after the Kremlin disputed claims about agreements made with the US.
His remarks came just hours after Russia stated it would only implement a US-brokered deal to stop using force in the Black Sea if certain sanctions on its banks and exports, imposed due to its invasion of Ukraine, were lifted.
Following days of separate negotiations with Ukrainian and Russian officials in Saudi Arabia, the White House announced on Tuesday that both sides had agreed “to ensure safe navigation, eliminate the use of force, and prevent the use of commercial vessels for military purposes in the Black Sea.”
However, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that Ukraine had agreed to halt military operations in the Black Sea, the Kremlin issued its own statement outlining additional conditions for the partial truce.
Among these conditions were the removal of sanctions on Russia’s agricultural bank and other financial institutions involved in food exports, as well as their reconnection to the SWIFT international payments system. The US statement made no mention of lifting sanctions as a precondition for the ceasefire.
“I think Russia wants to see it end, and I think Zelensky wants to see it end at this point,” Trump said.
Regarding Russia’s demands, Trump said his administration was reviewing them.
“We’re considering all of them right now. There are five or six conditions, and we are looking at all of them,” he stated.
The White House also announced that both Russia and Ukraine had agreed to implement a previously announced pause on attacks against energy infrastructure.
However, details of this agreement remain unclear. On Wednesday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov claimed that Russia stopped targeting energy infrastructure on March 18, following a phone call between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Ukraine, however, has accused Moscow of continuing its attacks, with a Zelensky aide reporting at least eight strikes in the past week.
Meanwhile, Russia has accused Kyiv of attacking its own facilities, including an oil pumping station in Russia’s southern Krasnodar region.
