Ukraine proposed a ceasefire to Russia in the Black Sea through a third party

Ukraine sent Russia a proposal to halt attacks on civilian targets in the Black Sea amid a surge in strikes on vessels and ports.

The proposal was conveyed through a third party, Reuters reported, citing a source familiar with the situation. Moscow has not yet responded.

In recent weeks, both countries have warned that attacks on grain ships and maritime infrastructure could disrupt global food supplies.

Before this report emerged on Thursday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said Moscow had not received any official ceasefire proposals regarding the Black Sea.

“Recently we have been hearing many calls for various kinds of moratoriums and ceasefires. These ideas are being promoted through various channels, but we have not received any official proposals,” Grushko said, according to the Russian state news agency TASS.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Saturday that a draft moratorium on attacks in the Black Sea had been passed to Russia and Ukraine, indicating Ankara’s mediating role in these efforts.

Zelensky’s mysterious plan

The Black Sea proposal emerged as Ukraine’s broader strategy for pressuring Russia to end the war remains unclear even to Washington. President Volodymyr Zelensky said on August 12 that Kyiv and its international partners had developed a joint plan.

“Putin does not want to stop this war, but he will stop it. We have a plan,” Zelensky said.

A US official told the Kyiv Independent that special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held a call with Ukrainian officials on August 11, during which the plan was mentioned but no details were shared. “(Witkoff and Kushner) haven’t seen it yet,” the official said. The plan is expected to be presented during the envoys’ visit to Kyiv later this month.

Diplomatic deadlock

Peace talks have remained frozen since the United States launched a military operation against Iran in February. Russia continues to demand the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from parts of Donbas as a precondition for any agreement, while Kyiv insists that freezing the current front line would be the most realistic basis for a ceasefire.

Russia has signaled that it views developments on the battlefield as a more important factor than negotiations. The two sides remain at odds over territorial concessions and security guarantees, with Russia slowly advancing in eastern Ukraine throughout 2026. Ukrainian leaders are hoping that the active phase of the war could end before winter, when Moscow will again be capable of striking the country’s energy infrastructure.