March 25, 2025 (EIRNS)—The White House posted two statements covering the Riyadh talks today, one on the talks with Ukraine on March 23 and 25, and the other covering the talks with Russia on March 24. The statements are nearly identical, showing the areas of common agreement.
Both statements say that the parties (U.S. and Ukraine or U.S. and Russia) “have agreed to ensure safe navigation, eliminate the use of force, and prevent the use of commercial vessels for military purposes in the Black Sea.”
Both statements say that the parties “agreed to develop measures for implementing … [the] agreement to ban strikes against energy facilities of Russia and Ukraine.”
“The United States reiterated President Donald J. Trump’s imperative that the killing on both sides of the Russia-Ukraine conflict must stop, as the necessary step toward achieving an enduring peace settlement,” both statements say. “To that end, the United States will continue facilitating negotiations between both sides to achieve a peaceful resolution, in line with the agreements made in Riyadh.”
The statement on talks with Ukraine includes this additional point: “The United States and Ukraine agreed that the United States remains committed to helping achieve the exchange of prisoners of war, the release of civilian detainees, and the return of forcibly transferred Ukrainian children.”
The statement on talks with Russia includes this additional point: “The United States will help restore Russia’s access to the world market for agricultural and fertilizer exports, lower maritime insurance costs, and enhance access to ports and payment systems for such transactions.”
Shortly after the White House statements were posted, the Kremlin released a statement on the U.S.-Russian talks focusing on the Black Sea. “1. In line with the agreement reached by the presidents of Russia and the United States, the Russian and American sides agreed to provide for the implementation of the Black Sea Initiative, which includes ensuring safe navigation, eliminating the use of force, and preventing the use of commercial vessels for military purposes in the Black Sea, while adopting appropriate control measures by inspecting such vessels.” the statement reads.
Point 2 of the Russian statement echoes the same U.S. point of the U.S. statement on the restoration of Russian access to world food markets, but also specifies that “Clauses 1 & 2 will come into force following
“the removal of sanctions imposed on companies producing and exporting food (including fish and fish products) and fertilizers, as well as restrictions banning insurance companies from working with food cargoes (including fish and fish products) and fertilizers.”
And including “the removal of sanctions imposed on Rosselkhozbank (Russian Agricultural Bank) and other financial institutions involved in ensuring international food trade (including fish and fish products) and fertilizers, their reconnection to SWIFT, and opening of relevant correspondent accounts,” as well as removing “restrictions on servicing ships in ports and sanctions against ships flying the flag of Russia, if they are involved in food trade (including fish and fish products) and fertilizers … [and] restrictions on supplies to the Russian Federation of agricultural machinery and other goods used in the production of food … and fertilizers.”
The Kremlin later posted additional details on the moratorium on strikes on energy facilities. Russia says that the moratorium will cover oil refineries, oil and gas pipelines and storage and pumping facilities, electricity generation and distribution systems, nuclear power plants, and hydroelectric dams.
