The two sides view the Black Sea ceasefire in completely different terms, commentators said, while Russia's rising demands have started to grate on the Americans.

Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna (Eesti 200) was in Washington on Tuesday, where among other items on the agenda, he received a briefing from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the ongoing talks in Saudi Arabia.

According to Tsahkna, the parties had not yet reached deeper conclusions at that point in time.

Tsahkna told "Aktuaalne kaamera": "It was agreed that there would be a ceasefire in the Black Sea, but what that actually means — both sides probably deliberately interpreted that differently. The Russians started talking about the so-called grain deal, which did once exist but no longer does. Meanwhile, the Ukrainians and Americans were referring to an actual ceasefire."

Just a few hours after the US announced the Black Sea ceasefire, Russia stated that sanctions against it should be eased first, more specifically on banks relating to the agriculture sector.

Igor Gretski, researcher at think tank the International Center for Defense and Security (ICDS), said the outcomes of the talks have so far been discussed in very general terms.

"It's not actually clear with what means this security could be achieved; who is responsible for what. And I would like to draw your attention to the fact that secure navigation is absolutely impossible without port facilities and infrastructure. So far, Russia continues targeting the port facilities of Ukraine."

Security expert Rainer Saks concurred, saying: "We're talking about ending exchanges of fire at sea, stopping attacks on cargo ships — but can attacks on ports still go on or not? From what I understand, attacks on ports should also halt. In that case, it would be a reasonable agreement. If that aspect isn't included, then the deal is completely pointless."

Saks added that Russia does need some kind of pause in military activity, as right now it is incapable of taking any larger, new territories.

According to Tsahkna, Russia merely wants to give the impression that they're ready to move toward a ceasefire, but in actuality, they're not interested in doing so, each time making new demands, holding things up and buying time.

Conversely, Donald Trump needs to have something to show for the talks, Tsahkna added.

"Trump somehow has to report that the meetings were highly substantive, that a lot was achieved, because he has to show progress right now, he has to show that he's making headway. But the actual facts on the ground don't conform to those outcomes, and in that sense, I'm sure the Americans grasp all of this. The only question is when Trump and the Americans will reach a red line," the foreign minister said.

Crossing that notional line could mean more serious pressure and even harsher sanctions for Russia.

The latest talks represented the strongest signal so far that Russia, as well as Ukraine, is willing to lay down arms, and the White House has said it has brokered an agreement between the two countries to halt military activity over the Black Sea.

Both countries are major exporters of grain, particularly to the developing world, and an initial Black Sea Grain Initiative which followed Russia's invasion of Ukraine lasted almost exactly a year, to July 2023.

The temporary agreement also involved Black Sea nation Turkey, plus the UN, and ensured safe passage along a designated corridor for Ukrainian grain vessels. Over a thousand voyages by vessels carrying nearly 33 million tonnes of grain and other food products to 45 countries took place before the deal lapsed, following further Russian demands.

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