Russia demands sanctions be lifted before Ukraine maritime ceasefire; Zelenskyy calls for new sanctions on Kremlin

Russian navy vessel in Black Sea (file photo)

Just hours after the US announced that Ukraine and Russia have agreed to suspend strikes in the Black Sea as part of separate agreements, the Kremlin stated that the ceasefire would only happen once sanctions on several Russian banks were lifted.

Russia wants the western sanctions imposed on them to be lifted before it begins the maritime ceasefire with Ukraine. The demands from the Russia include revoking sanctions on the state agricultural bank Rosselkhoz bank and restoring the firms' access to the Swift international payment system.

While on the other hand Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked the US to further sanction Moscow, after a night of Russian drone attacks that caused damage in several places.

The Moscow launched a drone attack on the port city of Mykolaiv, Ukrainian officials said, with President Volodymyr Zelensky saying the strikes were "a clear signal" Russia did not want peace.

On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump said that Russia could be trying to delay ending the war.

"I think that Russia wants to see an end to it, but it could be they're dragging their feet. I've done it over the years," he said in an interview with Newsmax.

However, White House said on March 25 that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to a ceasefire in the Black Sea and to implement a ban on attacks on energy facilities by the two neighbors, an apparent breakthrough after American negotiators held separate talks with both countries. '

Ukraine and Russia also committed to "develop measures" to implement a previously agreed ban on attacking each other's energy infrastructure, the White House said.

Later, Kyiv and Moscow released conflicting statements on the details of the deal, including when and how it would start.