A cargo vessel recently departed from Odesa, a major Black Sea port in Ukraine, after being stranded there since the onset of Russia’s comprehensive invasion in February 2022. Just last week, Ukraine unveiled a fresh corridor in the Black Sea, aiming to facilitate the exit of merchant ships anchored in its harbors, even though Russia has yet to guarantee their safety. Russia has cautioned that any ships departing from Ukrainian ports could be targeted as military marks. In another development, Ukraine rejected a suggestion by a senior NATO official implying that the nation might need to relinquish some of its territories to Russia if it wishes to join the NATO alliance.