Ukraine has expressed its willingness to accept an immediate 30-day ceasefire with Russia, a proposal put forth by the United States following discussions held in Saudi Arabia.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced he would communicate this offer to Russia, stating, “the ball is in their court,” while Moscow has not yet responded publicly to the proposal.
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine emphasized that it is now the responsibility of the US to persuade Russia to agree to what he described as a “positive” proposal.
The talks in Jeddah on Tuesday marked the first official engagement between the two nations since the notable confrontation between Zelensky and US President Donald Trump on February 28.
In a joint statement, the US declared it would promptly resume intelligence sharing and security support to Ukraine, which had been halted following the unprecedented public dispute in the White House.”
Both delegations agreed to name their negotiating teams and immediately begin negotiations toward an enduring peace that provides for Ukraine’s long-term security,” the statement from US-Ukraine talks indicated.Rubio conveyed during a press conference in Jeddah on Tuesday evening that he hoped for a favorable response from Russia regarding the proposal.
He remarked that Ukraine was “ready to stop shooting and start talking,” and if Russia declined the proposal, “then we’ll unfortunately know what the impediment is to peace here.”
“Today we made an offer that the Ukrainians have accepted, which is to enter into a ceasefire and into immediate negotiations,” he stated.
He further added, “We’ll take this offer now to the Russians and we hope they’ll say yes to peace. The ball is now in their court.”
Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy present at the Jeddah discussions, is expected to travel to Russia in the upcoming days, according to a source.
The proposed 30-day ceasefire expands upon Zelensky’s earlier call for a partial truce in the air and at sea.
Zelensky expressed gratitude to Trump for “the constructiveness” of the talks held in Jeddah.
In a video message, he asserted that Russia must “show its willingness to stop the war or continue the war.””It is time for the full truth,” he concluded.
TRUMP TO RESUME MILITARY AID TO UKRAINE
The United States has agreed to resume military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine after Kyiv expressed “readiness” to accept a 30-day ceasefire in its conflict with Russia.
This development comes after officials from both countries met in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, resulting in a joint statement that outlines Ukraine’s openness to a US-proposed “immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire which can be extended by mutual agreement of the parties.”
As a result of this progress, the US has pledged to “immediately lift the pause on intelligence sharing and resume security assistance” to Kyiv.
This move reverses the suspension of aid that occurred last week, which had hindered Ukraine’s ability to track Russian troop movements, defend against missile strikes, and launch counterattacks.
The suspension was sparked by a disagreement between US President Trump and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, who had traveled to Washington to discuss a rare earth minerals deal.
This deal, which would grant the US access to Ukraine’s lucrative mineral resources, is now back on the table.
According to the joint statement, both countries aim to “conclude as soon as possible a comprehensive agreement for developing Ukraine’s critical mineral resources to expand Ukraine’s economy and guarantee Ukraine’s long-term prosperity and security”
.It’s worth noting that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized Russia’s crucial role in accepting the ceasefire proposal, stating “The ball is now in their court”.
WORLD LEADERS REACTION
In London, Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed his support for the agreement, stating:
“This is an important moment for peace in Ukraine and we now all need to redouble our efforts to get to a lasting and secure peace as soon as possible … Russia must now agree to a ceasefire and an end to the fighting too.”
He indicated that he would be “convening leaders this Saturday to discuss next steps.”
French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday acknowledged the “progress” made during the Jeddah talks but emphasized that Kyiv requires “robust” security guarantees as part of any ceasefire.
In Poland, Prime Minister Donald Tusk commended the “important step towards peace” taken by the US and Ukraine.
WORLD AWAITS PUTIN’S RUSSIA RESPONSE
The Kremlin has yet to respond publicly, stating earlier on Tuesday that it would release a statement after receiving a briefing from Washington on the talks’ outcomes.
However, prominent Russian lawmaker Konstantin Kosachev remarked that any potential agreements would be “on our terms, not American.”
Kosachev, who chairs the Federation Council’s international affairs committee, emphasized that “real agreements are still being written… at the front,” highlighting that Russian forces are making advances in Ukraine.Since launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russia currently controls approximately 20% of Ukrainian territory.
At the White House, Trump informed reporters that he intended to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who would “hopefully” agree to the proposal.
“It takes two to tango, as they say,” Trump noted, expressing hope that the deal could be finalized within the next few days.”
We have a big meeting with Russia tomorrow, and some great conversations hopefully will ensue,” he added, indicating his willingness to invite Zelensky back to Washington.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that Moscow has not ruled out dialogues with US representatives in the coming days, as reported by Russia’s state-owned news agency.
When asked by a reporter if Trump and Zelensky’s relationship was “back on track,” Rubio expressed that he hoped it was “peace” that was being restored.
“This is not Mean Girls; this is not some episode of some television show,” he remarked.
“Today people will die in this war, they died yesterday, and—sadly—unless there’s a ceasefire, they will die tomorrow.”
The US and Ukrainian teams convened following drone attacks overnight that resulted in the deaths of at least three individuals near Moscow. Russia asserted that these incidents demonstrated Ukraine’s rejection of diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict.
Furthermore, Trump and Zelensky have agreed to finalize “as soon as possible” a deal concerning critical minerals, according to the joint statement.
Ukraine has proposed granting the US access to its rare earth mineral reserves in exchange for US security guarantees; however, this plan was disrupted due to the White House dispute.Rubio noted that this deal was not part of Tuesday’s discussions but had been negotiated with the treasuries of both Ukraine and the US.
The US delegation in Jeddah also included National Security Adviser Mike Waltz.The joint US-Ukraine statement confirmed that Kyiv had “reiterated” the necessity for European involvement in any peace process.The change in the US approach to the conflict—currently excluding Europe from negotiations—has led to a series of emergency meetings among European leaders in recent weeks.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed Tuesday’s “positive development.”Achieving a swift resolution to the war in Ukraine has been a significant promise from the US president, who has increasingly pressured Zelensky to agree to a ceasefire, although he has not provided the immediate security guarantees that the Ukrainian president insists upon.
On Friday, Trump issued a rare warning of potential further sanctions against Moscow as part of his push for a deal, noting that Russia is already subjected to extensive sanctions by the US due to the ongoing conflict.
Trump stated he was considering this action because “Russia is absolutely ‘pounding’ Ukraine on the battlefield right now.”
