March 25, 2025 – Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday that discussions between Russian and U.S. officials in Saudi Arabia focused on the safety of shipping in the Black Sea, adding that a new agreement on the matter was possible.
Lavrov, speaking a day after the talks took place, emphasized that any new deal would require strict conditions. He said Russia wanted inspections of vessels to ensure that empty ships were not being used for weapons deliveries. “We need guarantees that ships traveling in the Black Sea are not exploited for military purposes,” Lavrov told reporters. “This is a matter of our national security.”
He also highlighted ongoing issues with the export of Russian grain and fertilizers, calling them “serious problems” that had previously hindered agreements on Black Sea shipping.
The discussions in Saudi Arabia come amid heightened tensions over maritime security and the broader conflict in Ukraine, which has repeatedly disrupted commercial shipping in the Black Sea. There was no immediate comment from U.S. officials on the talks.
Background
The Black Sea has been a flashpoint since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with repeated disputes over the movement of cargo and naval activities in the region. A previous U.N.-brokered grain deal collapsed in 2023 after Moscow withdrew, citing obstacles to its own agricultural exports.
Since then, Russia has imposed tighter controls on shipping in the area, while Western nations have accused Moscow of using trade routes as leverage in the conflict. It remains unclear whether Monday’s talks signal a breakthrough or if a new agreement can be reached amid persistent geopolitical frictions.
