Kyiv walked away from Black Sea shipping deal with Russia, Turkey — report
For two months, Ukraine and Russia were in talks with Turkey about a Black Sea shipping security agreement, but Kyiv unexpectedly pulled out of the deal, Reuters reported on April 15, citing four people familiar with the matter.
The negotiations, mediated by Turkey, aimed to establish a Black Sea commercial shipping security agreement, which sources claimed was reached in March.
The UN, among other stakeholders, has called for a security pact to protect commercial shipping in the region.
According to the report, Ukraine was reluctant to sign but agreed to allow Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to announce the deal on March 30, the day before local elections in Turkey.
“At the very last minute, Ukraine suddenly pulled out and the deal was scuttled,” one source told the journalists.
Three other individuals confirmed this account. The sources were unaware of the reasons Kyiv decided against signing the agreement. Ukraine, Russia, and Turkey all declined to comment on the matter.
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