Turkish ministry: Russia, Ukraine to resume Black Sea security talks in Ankara

The Turkish Ministry of National Defense has announced that Russia and Ukraine are set to resume high-level negotiations on maritime security in the Black Sea.

The upcoming talks between Russia and Ukraine on Black Sea maritime security, scheduled for April 15–16, are set to take place at the Turkish Naval Forces Command headquarters in Ankara, Caliber.Az reports, citing Turkish media.

The planned negotiations follow previous discussions between Russia and the US on March 24, during which both sides addressed maritime safety in the Black Sea. At that meeting, Washington also expressed its intention to facilitate the return of Russian agricultural exports and fertilizers to global markets - an issue that had been hampered by ongoing sanctions and the collapse of the Black Sea Grain Initiative. Commenting on the talks, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry made it clear that any potential agreement on a temporary ceasefire in the Black Sea would apply strictly to civilian maritime traffic. 

Ukrainian officials emphasized that the agreement would not extend to Russian military vessels. Kyiv warned that the movement of Russian warships outside the eastern sector of the Black Sea would be considered a national security threat and a violation of the principle of freedom of navigation. 

US Vice President J.D. Vance later confirmed that negotiations surrounding a Black Sea ceasefire arrangement were nearing completion, suggesting that a framework to reduce risks to commercial shipping could soon be in place.

By Naila Huseynova