PUTIN DEMANDS “SWIFT” CONNECTION BEFORE CEASEFIRE

Russian President Vladimir Putin has refused to implement the new ceasefire agreement in the Black Sea between Russia and Ukraine unless international sanctions on Russia are lifted.

Moscow has demanded access to global food and fertilizer markets and its reintegration into international banking systems as conditions for agreeing to a maritime truce with Ukraine.

The White House announced the ceasefire on Tuesday after 12 hours of talks between Russia and the US in Saudi Arabia on Monday, following a period of silence from both sides. However, shortly after the announcement, Moscow made it clear that the deal would only come into effect once sanctions restricting Russia are lifted, sanctions that have helped isolate the Kremlin since the invasion.

For weeks, Russia has been accused by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European allies of delaying peace talks. The discussions in Saudi Arabia came after a phone call between Putin and former President Donald Trump, where the Russian leader rejected a proposed 30-day ceasefire from the US and Ukraine.

While Zelensky insisted the deal would go into effect “immediately,” the Kremlin stated it would only proceed if sanctions were lifted. Specifically, Russia demanded the removal of restrictions on the Russian Agricultural Bank and other financial institutions involved in international food trade, along with their reconnection to the SWIFT international payment system.

Moscow suggested that Turkey, maintaining ties with both sides, could monitor the Black Sea situation, while a Middle Eastern country could oversee the energy agreement.

Zelensky warned that any movement of Russian warships beyond the “eastern part of the Black Sea” would be seen as a violation of the deal. He added, “If the Russians violate this, then I have a direct question for President Trump. If they violate, here is the evidence – we ask for sanctions, we ask for weapons.”