Following discussions between the United States and Ukraine held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine has publicly declared its willingness to accept a 30-day ceasefire with Russia, a proposal put forward by the US.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has indicated that the offer will be formally presented to Moscow, emphasizing that the decision now rests with the Russian government.
As of yet, Russia has not released a public response. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has placed the responsibility of persuading Russia to agree to the “positive” proposition squarely on the United States.
The Jeddah talks, held on Tuesday, mark the first official interaction between the two nations since a well-documented disagreement between President Zelensky and former US President Donald Trump, which occurred in the Oval Office on February 28th.
In a concurrent announcement, the United States has committed to the immediate restoration of intelligence sharing and security support to Ukraine, which had been temporarily suspended following the prior public disagreement.
“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 US-Ukraine statement said.
Rubio told a press conference in Jeddah late on Tuesday that he hoped Russia would accept the proposal.
Ukraine was “ready to stop shooting and start talking,” he said, and if Russia rejected the offer “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 said.
“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,” he added.
Following the Jeddah discussions, Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy, is scheduled to travel to Russia within the coming days, according to a source familiar with the plans. However, this itinerary remains subject to change.
The proposed 30-day ceasefire extends beyond President Zelensky’s previous calls for a limited truce in aerial and maritime domains. President Zelensky expressed gratitude to Trump for the “constructive” nature of the Jeddah talks.
In a video address, Zelensky challenged Russia to “show its willingness to stop the war or continue the war,” emphasizing the need for “the full truth.”
While the Kremlin has yet to issue a formal response, they had previously indicated that a statement would be forthcoming after receiving a briefing from Washington on the talks’ outcomes.
However, Konstantin Kosachev, a prominent Russian lawmaker and chairman of the Federation Council’s international affairs committee, asserted that any potential agreements would be “on our terms, not American.”
He further underscored that “real agreements are still being written… at the front,” highlighting the ongoing advance of Russian troops within Ukraine.
Russia initiated its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and currently maintains control over approximately 20% of Ukrainian territory.
At the White House, President Trump conveyed to reporters his intention to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin, expressing hope that Putin would “hopefully” agree to the proposed ceasefire.
“It takes two to tango, as they say,” Trump said, adding he hoped the deal would be agreed in the next few days.
“We have a big meeting with Russia tomorrow, and some great conversations hopefully will ensue.”
President Trump indicated he would consider inviting President Zelensky back to Washington.
Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, as reported by the state-owned news agency Tass, stated that Russia has not dismissed the possibility of talks with US representatives in the coming days.
When questioned by a reporter about whether the relationship between Trump and Zelensky had been “restored,” Secretary of State Rubio expressed his hope that “peace” was the primary focus.
“This is not Mean Girls, this is not some episode of some television show,” he said.
“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 delegations convened following overnight drone attacks near Moscow, which resulted in at least three deaths. Russia characterized these attacks as evidence of Ukraine’s rejection of diplomatic solutions.
Notably, Presidents Trump and Zelensky agreed to finalize a critical minerals deal “as soon as possible,” according to the joint statement.
Ukraine had previously offered the US access to its rare earth mineral reserves in exchange for security guarantees, a proposal that was disrupted by a prior White House dispute.
Secretary of State Rubio clarified that the minerals deal was not a primary focus of the Tuesday talks, but was being negotiated separately with Ukrainian and US treasury officials. The US delegation in Jeddah also included National Security Advisor Mike Waltz.
The joint statement highlighted Ukraine’s insistence on European involvement in any peace process. This shift in US diplomatic strategy, which has at times excluded European participation, has recently led to several emergency meetings among European leaders.
Also Read: Trump clashes with Zelensky over Ukraine war and US support
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed the bloc’s positive reception of the Tuesday developments.
President Trump has prioritized a swift end to the war in Ukraine, increasing pressure on President Zelensky to accept a ceasefire. This pressure has been notable for occuring without immediate security guarantees that Ukraine has requested.
On Friday, Trump threatened further sanctions against Russia, already heavily sanctioned, stating the move reflected Russia’s battlefield advances.
Simultaneously, combat continued on the ground. A drone attack near Moscow resulted in three fatalities, described as the largest attack on the Russian capital since the start of the full-scale conflict.
Russian defense officials reported intercepting 337 drones, 91 of which were over the Moscow region. Ukrainian officials reported Russian drone attacks on Kyiv and other areas.
The Ukrainian Air Force said it intercepted 79 out of 126 Russian drones and one ballistic missile. Immediate casualty reports were unavailable.
