Ukraine receives four proposals for energy and maritime ceasefires – Sybiha
Ukraine has received proposals on energy and maritime ceasefires from four countries: the United States, India, Turkey and Egypt.
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said this while speaking to journalists, Censor.NET reports.
What are the proposals?
Sybiha noted that Ukraine is ready for an energy and maritime ceasefire with Russia. This would mean "a complete energy ceasefire, an end to strikes on all energy facilities, including port infrastructure".
"We have presented our vision, based on our reasoning and our understanding of how this should work. We are ready for an energy and Black Sea ceasefire, but only in that combination: energy and a ceasefire in the Black Sea," the minister said.
According to him, the "broadest" proposal came from India.
Grain corridor
There are also two proposals for a food ceasefire – a "grain corridor" – from Turkey and Egypt. Sybiha noted that Egypt relies on Ukrainian grain for one-third of its needs and also relies heavily on Russian grain, making it "critically important for them to resolve this".
A fourth proposal came from the United States. It also concerns an energy ceasefire, which was discussed during the meeting between Presidents Zelenskyy and Trump.
"In general, we believe that a ceasefire could be one outcome of a meeting between President Zelenskyy and Putin. We are ready for various ceasefire formats, including an unconditional ceasefire along the current line of contact. We have conveyed all of this, and the Americans have accepted it and are also working on this track," he added.
As previously reported, Bloomberg wrote that Turkey and the UN are preparing new talks on a Black Sea ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine.
Russian strikes on shipping
- In July, Russian forces intensified strikes on vessels travelling through Ukraine’s maritime corridor in the Black Sea.
- In September, Ukrainian Minister for Restoration, Infrastructure and Transport Mykola Kalashnyk reported that 1,173 port infrastructure facilities and 274 civilian vessels had been damaged or partially destroyed since the start of the full-scale invasion. According to him, cargo throughput at the ports of Greater Odesa had fallen more than 15-fold since July 22.
- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Ukraine is ready to ensure the safety of shipping in the Black Sea, provided Russia also takes steps towards de-escalation.
