When the U.S. said it had reached an agreement to eliminate the use of force in the Black Sea, it looked like a breakthrough. Then Russia listed its conditions.

Washington has brandished a proposed Black Sea ceasefire as evidence the Trump administration can shift the dial in Russia's war on Ukraine but Kyiv and its allies may be wary Russian President Vladimir Putin could emerge from the deal with the upper hand.

The White House on March 25 announced that Ukraine and Russia had agreed to "eliminate the use of force" in the Black Sea, returning the spotlight to a theater of battle that has been relatively quiet for more than a year.