Russia Dismisses Calls for Black Sea Ceasefire
The Foreign Ministry said it saw no grounds for "half-measures" that would offer a respite to Ukrainian forces.
Russia's Foreign Ministry has rejected calls for a ceasefire in the Black Sea, dismissing the idea as offering "half-measures" that would merely grant Ukraine temporary relief in their conflict with Ukraine. Both nations have escalated attacks on commercial ships in the Black Sea recently, which has led to rising global grain prices.
The Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, accused Ukraine of committing "brazen acts of terrorism" against shipping without acknowledging Russia's own attacks. She stated that Russia views these attacks as a deliberate attempt to destabilize civilian shipping in the region, prolong the conflict, and gain support from neighboring countries.
Zakharova also ruled out returning to the 2022-23 Black Sea Grain Initiative, which had allowed both sides to safely ship grain through the Black Sea. This initiative collapsed after Russia withdrew, claiming Western promises regarding their exports were not met. The Ministry's actions are seen as attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia, with the Moscow Times being designated as an "undesirable" organization and journalists facing criminalization.
Written by urgent.news from The Moscow Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
