The News
The White House said Russia and Ukraine agreed to a ceasefire in the Black Sea Tuesday following talks earlier this week in Riyadh. It was unclear when the truce would take effect, as the Kremlin issued its own statement stressing certain preconditions that must be met first.
Among them is lifting of limits on agricultural exports — Russia is a major wheat producer — and for Russian banks to be reconnected to the global SWIFT payments system.
While the White House announcement signaled progress in negotiations, the piecemeal nature of the agreements so far and Russia’s demands reinforced analysts’ concern that Moscow is “playing for time” to see what concessions it can get, Bloomberg wrote, as US officials work to fulfill President Donald Trump’s campaign promise to end the war.