Ukraine has accepted an American proposal for a 30-day ceasefire and agreed to begin immediate negotiations with Russia, marking a pivotal moment in talks held in Jeddah on Tuesday after three years of intense conflict.
In the first high-level US-Ukraine meeting since President Zelensky’s tense interaction at the White House, the United States committed to restoring military aid and vowed to finalize an agreement concerning Ukrainian minerals “as soon as possible,” according to a joint statement.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the ceasefire deal, stating, “Today, we made an offer that the Ukrainians have accepted, which is to enter into a ceasefire and immediate negotiations.” He added, “We’ll now present this offer to Russia and hope they will agree to peace. The ball is in their court.”
The statement clarified that Ukraine is willing to accept a 30-day interim ceasefire, which could be extended by mutual agreement. The ceasefire is contingent on Russian acceptance and its simultaneous implementation. The United States will communicate to Russia that its response is key to achieving peace.
National Security Advisor Mike Waltz expressed confidence, stating that it’s no longer a question of “if” but “how” the war would end.
These talks took place after Ukraine launched its largest direct assault on Moscow, with hundreds of drones targeting the capital and other regions, leaving three people dead. The Ukrainian delegation hoped to secure restored US military aid, intelligence sharing, and access to satellite imagery that had been cut off following a public dispute between Zelensky and US officials, including President Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
Ukraine’s Chief of Staff, Andriy Yermak, told reporters upon entering the meeting, “We are ready to do everything to achieve peace.” Kyiv also emphasized that the massive drone attack was designed to urge Russian President Putin to accept a ceasefire, particularly in the air and at sea.
While the proposal is a significant diplomatic gesture, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskov dismissed it, stating that there were no active peace talks to disrupt. He also noted that Russia would only learn of Ukraine’s readiness for peace through this new proposal.
In the meantime, Russia has increased strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure and reported regaining control of 12 settlements in the Kursk region, which Ukraine had previously captured.
Rubio suggested that the Ukrainian offer for a partial ceasefire would be the kind of concession necessary to end the conflict, although he emphasized that this alone wouldn’t be enough for a final resolution.
While the US has worked on diplomatic efforts, Trump has recently made waves with his shifting stance on the war, including suggesting Ukraine was partly responsible for the conflict and aligning with Russia on certain issues at the UN.
