Zelenskiy offers Putin partial truce for first time to stop air and sea attacks
english.elpais.com
The Ukrainian president offers first steps towards a ceasefire and calls on Trump to lead the peace process

The new proposal announced by Zelenskiy comes two days after French President Emmanuel Macron revealed that he was negotiating with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to offer a partial ceasefire similar to the one detailed by the Ukrainian leader, although only for one month. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot added that the intention of “a truce in the sky, at sea and in the energy infrastructure is to test whether Vladimir Putin has good intentions to seal a truce.”

  • merde alors
    2·
    2 days ago

    After the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, the Ukrainian government appealed to Turkey to exercise its authority under the Montreux Convention to limit the transit of Russian warships from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea. At least six Russian warships and a submarine had crossed the Turkish straits in February. After initial reluctance, attributed to the country’s close ties with both Russia and Ukraine, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu announced on 27 February that his government would legally recognise the Russian invasion as a “war”, which provides grounds for implementing the convention with respect to military vessels. This blockage of naval vessels also applies to NATO powers who cannot now move their vessels from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea. However, Çavuşoğlu reiterated that pursuant to the terms of the agreement, Turkey cannot block Russian warships based in the Black Sea from returning to their registered base.

    Two Russian Federation ships (the missile cruiser Varyag, the flagship of the Russian Pacific Fleet, and Admiral Tributs, a large anti-submarine destroyer) waited in the Mediterranean seeking to enter the Black Sea for nine months. In October 2022, they were refused permission and left the Mediterranean Sea through the Suez Canal.

    On 2 January 2024 Turkey refused passage through the strait to two minehunters donated by the British Royal Navy to the Ukrainian Navy pursuant to the Convention.

    for more information ☞ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreux_Convention_Regarding_the_Regime_of_the_Straits

    • mapto@feddit.bgOPM
      2·
      2 days ago

      Thank you for the context. The current dynamics is that with the waning Russian fleet, Turkey is building up to dominate.

      The Montreux Convention needs to be overridden with a total ban of military activity in the Black Sea basin. This is necessary both to protect its fragile ecosystem and as a step towards long-lasting peace in the wider region.