MOSCOW, August 14, 2026: Russia has not received a formal proposal from Türkiye on introducing a moratorium on military activities in the Black Sea, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in response to a media question about Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan’s recent remarks.
Zakharova said Moscow carefully considers peace initiatives from foreign partners, particularly Türkiye, which she described as an important regional actor and Russia’s Black Sea neighbour.
She said the Russian side had not received through official channels any formal Turkish proposal outlining the specific terms of a possible moratorium.
Zakharova also cautioned against reviving what she described as a one-sided arrangement similar to the 2022–2023 Black Sea Initiative. According to the Russian spokeswoman, Moscow had agreed at the time to suspend certain military activities in exchange for reciprocal measures, including facilitating access for Russian agricultural products to global markets.
She claimed that the commitments were not fulfilled and accused Western countries of acting in bad faith. Moscow ultimately withdrew from the Black Sea Initiative.
Zakharova further accused Ukraine of carrying out drone attacks against civilian vessels in the Black Sea and said Russia viewed such incidents as part of a policy aimed at destabilising civilian shipping and prolonging the conflict.
She said Moscow currently saw no conditions for improving the situation and rejected what she called temporary or incomplete arrangements that could provide Kyiv with a short-term respite.
According to Zakharova, Russia’s position on ceasefire proposals remains unchanged. She reiterated Moscow’s view that a sustainable settlement of the Ukraine conflict requires addressing what Russia considers its underlying causes.
She identified NATO’s eastward expansion and efforts to bring Ukraine into the alliance as key security concerns for Moscow. Zakharova also called for guarantees concerning what she described as the rights of Russian and Russian-speaking populations in territories controlled by the Ukrainian government.
The statements concerning the conflict and attacks reflect the Russian Foreign Ministry’s position and allegations.
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