Zakharova: Russia does not intend to return to the 2022–2023 “Black Sea initiative”

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Moscow does not consider it appropriate to return to the format of suspending hostilities in the Black Sea that was in effect under the “Black Sea initiative” in 2022–2023.

“If we are talking about the unilateral scheme of 2022–2023, better known as the ‘Black Sea initiative,’ under which Moscow suspended hostilities in the Black Sea — or more precisely, retaliatory steps to protect Russian port infrastructure and energy facilities — then returning to that option is not advisable,” Zakharova said.

According to her, the agreement envisaged reciprocal measures on Ukraine’s part; however, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman claimed they were never fulfilled.

Zakharova also said that Russia had not yet received, through official channels, a formalized proposal from Turkey to introduce a moratorium on military operations in the Black Sea. Earlier, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated that Ankara had conveyed relevant proposals to both Moscow and Kyiv.

Zakharova linked her position to Ukrainian Armed Forces attacks in the Black Sea. According to her, the actions of the Ukrainian side provide no grounds for introducing “half-measures” which, as the Russian side claims, could give Kyiv a breathing space.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, for his part, accused Turkey and the United States of failing to publicly react to Ukrainian drone attacks in the Black Sea on facilities of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC).

“But we did not start this,” Lavrov said, claiming that Ukrainian drones had attacked vessels, including those linked to American companies Chevron and ExxonMobil.

According to the Russian minister, Turkey and U.S. Vice President JD Vance had allegedly conveyed private signals to Ukraine asking it not to attack CPC infrastructure.

Ankara made its ceasefire appeal publicly, but neither Ukraine nor Russia responded to it. Reuters, citing an anonymous source, reported that Kyiv had proposed to Moscow a bilateral halt to strikes on civilian targets in the Black Sea.