The maritime agreement in Riyadh benefits Moscow - The Times.

Ukrainian experts and analysts from the international publication The Times express doubts about the ceasefire agreement in the Black Sea, which was signed with the mediation of Saudi Arabia. They believe that this agreement gives Russia significant advantages, while Ukraine is forced to make major concessions.

The Times reports that active hostilities in the Black Sea ended back in 2023, when the Ukrainian fleet struck a series of blows against Russian warships. This forced the Russian fleet to limit its presence in the sea and retreat to a safe distance. Ukraine's actions allowed it to create a grain corridor and restore maritime exports.

Ukraine successfully ensures the security of its grain corridor, while Russia constantly attacks the ports of Odesa and Mykolaiv. At the same Time, Russia has not faced any restrictions on attacks on ports.

Experts point to dubious provisions of the agreement. A truce in the energy sector may protect Ukrainian citizens from winter outages; however, it means that Ukraine must cease strikes on Russian oil facilities, which have significantly harmed its economy. Russia demands the lifting of sanctions against 'Rosselkhozbank' as a condition of the agreement, which could lead to the easing of economic restrictions. The agreement also does not include clear mechanisms for the return of abducted Ukrainian children and prisoners of war.

The White House stated that the agreement would 'expand' Russia's access to international financial systems but did not specify the details. Analysts from The Times believe that such a truce could become a diplomatic victory for Putin and lead to a weakening of international pressure on Russia without significant concessions from its side.