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Lavrov: Russia Needs U.S. Guarantees on the Black Sea
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Lavrov's remarks reveal Russia's condition for Washington’s direct involvement in ensuring Black Sea security, implicitly acknowledging America’s key role in the Ukraine crisis
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced on Tuesday that the talks held in Riyadh between Russian and U.S. delegations focused on issues related to safe navigation in the Black Sea, noting that preliminary results were submitted to both Russian and American presidents.
In an interview with Russia’s Channel One, Lavrov stated that the negotiations were conducted as part of agreements reached between President Vladimir Putin and his American counterpart. The discussions primarily centered on securing maritime safety in the Black Sea. He emphasized that Russia would not agree to reactivate the Black Sea Initiative unless it received "clear guarantees," stressing that achieving this depends on a direct decision from the U.S. to instruct Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Lavrov added that Washington had understood Russia’s message regarding security guarantees, asserting that only the United States has the capability to achieve tangible results in halting what he described as "terrorist attacks" carried out by Kyiv. He also underlined that Moscow made it clear to Washington that it would not tolerate any ambiguity in proposals concerning the Black Sea.
Earlier, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that the results of the negotiations between the Russian and U.S. delegations in Riyadh are currently under review by both Moscow and Washington. He confirmed that no direct talks between Putin and his American counterpart have been scheduled yet, though plans may be adjusted if necessary.
According to sources, discussions between the two sides lasted more than 12 hours. The Russian delegation was led by Grigory Karasin, Chairman of the Federation Council’s International Affairs Committee, alongside Sergey Beseda, an advisor to the Director of the Federal Security Service (FSB). Meanwhile, the U.S. delegation included Andrew Peek, Senior Director for Europe at the National Security Council, Michael Anton, Director of Policy Planning at the State Department, along with former National Security Advisor to President Donald Trump, Mike Waltz, and members of the U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine team.
As both sides continue to analyze the outcomes of the negotiations, it remains unclear whether this round of talks will lead to actual agreements, especially given the complexities of the regional situation and ongoing tensions between Moscow and Kyiv.
