Marco Rubio, the U.S. Secretary for State, said that on Wednesday. The United States would evaluate any demands made by Russia following its "in principle agreement" with a ceasefire negotiated by the United States in order to ensure safe navigation through Black Sea.

Following talks in Saudi Arabia, the U.S. announced two separate agreements with Ukraine, Russia and other countries to ensure safe navigation and stop attacks.

In February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine. Donald Trump, who was inaugurated on January 20, has been calling for an end to this war. This is despite a rapid U.S.-Moscow rapprochement that has worried Kyiv and European Allies.

"After our meeting in Saudi Arabia,... the Russians detailed several conditions they wanted to be met to achieve that. So we're going evaluate that," Rubio said to reporters during a trip to Jamaica on Wednesday.

He said U.S. officials will work to "more thoroughly understand what the Russians' position is or what they are asking for in exchange" before presenting that information to President Trump and making a decision on the next steps.

The Russian demands are known to all. The Kremlin's demands are well-known.

RUSSIAN DEMANDS

The United Nations and Turkey negotiated the 2022 agreement to ensure the safe export of Ukrainian grain across the Black Sea. The U.N. and Turkey agreed, under a three-year agreement that accompanied the deal, to facilitate Russia's exports of food and fertilizer.

Russia will leave the Black Sea agreement in July 2023. It claims that its export demands for food and fertilizers have not been met. U.N. officials continue to work with Russia in order to address its concerns about exports.

In a March 2023 letter to the U.N., Russia stated that it wanted to reconnect the Russian Agricultural Bank to the SWIFT payment system. In June 2022, the European Union cut off the bank's SWIFT connection.

Russia said that it also wanted the resumption in supplies of agricultural machinery, spare parts and ports to Russian ships. It also wants restrictions lifted on access to ports and insurance for Russian ships.

Although Russian food and fertilizer exports are not subjected to Western sanctions (yet), Moscow claims that restrictions on payments and logistics, as well as insurance, have created a barrier for shipments.

Rubio said on Wednesday that Russia demanded the lifting of certain EU sanctions. The European Commission stated on Wednesday that a major condition for lifting or amending sanctions would be the withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukraine.

The White House announced in a Tuesday statement that after U.S. officials and Russian officials met at a meeting in Saudi Arabia it had agreed as part of a truce deal to "help restore Russia’s access to world markets for agricultural and fertiliser exports, reduce maritime insurance costs and enhance access ports and payment systems to such transactions."

(source: Reuters)