by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – In a breakthrough following U.S.-led talks in Saudi Arabia, the White House announced Tuesday that Russia and Ukraine separately agreed to halt military strikes in the Black Sea, marking a tentative first step toward peace.
With President Trump pushing for a swift end to the war, U.S. negotiators held separate three-day meetings in Riyadh with Ukrainian and Russian delegations that led to the ceasefire agreement.
“The United States 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,” the White House said in a statement.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov confirmed the agreement on X, stating, “All parties 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.”
However, Umerov warned that any movement of Russian warships outside the eastern Black Sea would breach the U.S.-brokered deal, adding on Facebook that if this occurs, “Ukraine will have full right to exercise right to self-defense.”
Despite the ceasefire agreement, the Kremlin signaled Tuesday it may withhold full compliance until Russia is reinstated into the SWIFT banking system, casting doubt on the deal’s success. As an incentive, the U.S. offered to “help restore access to the world market” for Russian agricultural and fertilizer exports—the most concrete offer since Western sanctions began in 2022.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
Senior Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal on Sunday reaffirmed the terrorist group’s refusal to disarm, rejecting demands from U.S. President Donald Trump and vowing to continue the fight against Israel.
The U.S. government added $696 billion to the national debt over the past four months, borrowing $94 billion in the month of January alone, the Congressional Budget Office reports.
Anti-ICE protests continued in Minneapolis over the weekend, resulting in dozens of arrests by local law enforcement.
Authorities across North Africa and southern Europe remained on high alert Monday after powerful storms killed numerous people and forced the evacuation of more than 160,000 residents.
Ukraine’s foreign minister has warned that intensified Russian attacks on his country’s energy infrastructure are creating a direct risk of a nuclear incident that could affect all of Europe.
Official results confirmed Monday that Socialist Party candidate António José Seguro won Portugal’s presidential election with 66.7 percent of the vote, defeating André Ventura of the right-wing nationalist Chega (“Enough”) party.
Despite what advocates describe as decades of persecution, discrimination, and insecurity, Pakistan’s Christians remain steadfast in their faith and committed to peaceful coexistence, a leading Christian rights advocate said Friday.