U.S. and Ukraine Advocate for 30-Day Truce Following Discussions in Saudi Arabia

 

the United States and Ukraine have proposed a 30-day ceasefire, contingent upon Russia's agreement, following high-level discussions held in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.

U.S. and Ukraine Advocate for 30-Day Truce Following Discussions in Saudi Arabia

In a bid to halt hostilities, the United States and Ukraine have proposed a 30-day ceasefire, contingent upon Russia's agreement, following high-level discussions held in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.

According to a joint statement, the United States has pledged to "immediately lift" its suspension on intelligence sharing and "resume security assistance to Ukraine."

The declaration further emphasized that both nations "took important steps toward restoring durable peace for Ukraine."

"Ukraine expressed readiness to accept the U.S. proposal to enact an immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire, which can be extended by mutual agreement of the parties, and which is subject to acceptance and concurrent implementation by the Russian Federation," the statement read. "The United States will communicate to Russia that Russian reciprocity is the key to achieving peace."

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who led the U.S. delegation in Jeddah, stated that the proposal would be delivered to Russia "directly through multiple channels."

"The offer is to stop the shooting. The goal here is, the only way out to end this war is to negotiate out of it. There's no military solution to this war," Rubio remarked to reporters following the talks. "Before you can negotiate, you have to stop shooting at each other. And that's what [President Donald Trump] has wanted to see, and that's the commitment we got today from the Ukrainian side, their willingness to do that, obviously."

"Our hope is that the Russians will say yes," Rubio added, noting, "The ball is now in their court."

If Russia declines, he warned, "then we'll unfortunately know what the impediment is to peace here."

Addressing the media during a press briefing, President Trump expressed optimism about discussing the deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin later in the week.

"It takes two to tango, as they say, right. So hopefully, he'll also agree. And I really think that would be 75% of the way. The rest is getting it documented and negotiating land positions," Trump stated.

A source familiar with the plans revealed that Steve Witkoff, Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, is slated to travel to Moscow in the coming days. While a meeting with Putin remains uncertain, the source acknowledged the possibility.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the initiative, describing it as "a positive step."

"We are ready to take this step, and the United States must now convince Russia to do the same," he asserted in a statement. "If Russia agrees, the ceasefire will take effect immediately."

"Ukraine is ready for peace. Now, Russia must decide whether it is ready to end or continue the war. It is time for complete honesty," he further emphasized.

Following the talks, Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian delegation in Saudi Arabia, reaffirmed Ukraine's stance, stating, "Protecting Ukraine's interests is our top priority. A just peace is key for us. We want peace. Thank you for a constructive meeting."

In response, Russian Foreign Minister Maria Zakharova informed state-run TASS news agency that Russia does not dismiss the possibility of engaging with U.S. representatives in the coming days.

Mikhail Sheremet, a Crimean lawmaker in Moscow, echoed this sentiment, affirming, "Russia is interested in a settlement in Ukraine but will not allow itself to be deceived."

American and Ukrainian officials convened in Jeddah for over eight hours in an effort to outline a strategy for ending Russia’s ongoing military campaign, amid tensions between Presidents Trump and Zelenskyy.

Tuesday's discussions were positioned as an opportunity to reset relations following a contentious Oval Office meeting last month between Trump, Zelenskyy, and Vice President JD Vance. The meeting led to Trump freezing U.S. military aid and limiting intelligence cooperation, citing Kyiv as a major roadblock to peace.

"The most important thing that we have to leave here with is a strong sense that Ukraine is prepared to do difficult things," Rubio stated ahead of the meeting.

Zelenskyy, who has consistently advocated for a peaceful resolution, has insisted that any agreement must include provisions to deter future Russian aggression. On Monday, ahead of the Saudi talks, he met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to deliberate on peace conditions.

"I specifically emphasized the issue of the release of prisoners and the return of our children, which could become a key step in building trust in diplomatic efforts. A significant part of the discussion was dedicated to the formats of security guarantees," Zelenskyy wrote in a social media post after their meeting.

The Ukrainian delegation remained in Saudi Arabia to continue collaborating with U.S. representatives, with Zelenskyy expressing hopes for "practical outcomes" from the engagement.

Leading the U.S. delegation were Rubio, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and Witkoff, while Ukraine’s negotiation team was composed of Yermak, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, and Deputy Chief of Staff Pavlo Palisa.

"The team is on site," Yermak noted on Telegram. "Getting ready to work. Protecting Ukrainian interests, a clear vision of ending the war, we will work effectively with our American partners."

The Trump administration is urging Kyiv to make concessions to facilitate a peace agreement while simultaneously advocating for Ukraine’s participation in a minerals-sharing arrangement. Trump has described this deal as a means to recoup the billions of dollars in U.S. aid provided to Ukraine since 2022.

Rubio indicated that the Russians "are going to have to do difficult things" as well, though neither Trump nor his senior aides have specified what compromises Moscow might be expected to make. Initial U.S.-Russia negotiations took place in Riyadh last month.

Ahead of Tuesday’s session, a source close to Zelenskyy confirmed to ABC News that Ukraine planned to propose a limited ceasefire that would cover long-range air strikes and naval attacks.

"We want to propose a partial ceasefire that can be monitored and then see how the Russians respond to determine the next steps," the source stated.

While Rubio clarified that the minerals agreement was "not the subject of our talks today," he acknowledged that Trump and Zelenskyy aimed "to bring to finality the signature of the deal."

A joint statement from both nations underscored that "both countries' presidents agreed 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."

Notably, the discussions took place mere hours after Ukraine launched its largest drone attack against Russia. Moscow's defense forces reportedly intercepted 337 drones overnight, with 91 downed over the capital, resulting in at least two fatalities and eight injuries, according to Governor Andrei Vorobyov.

When asked whether Ukraine’s strikes were aimed at undermining the emerging ceasefire talks, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov dismissed such concerns, stating, "There are no negotiations yet. So far the Americans, in their own words, are trying to understand how ready Ukraine is for peace talks. There are no negotiations yet, so there is nothing to disrupt here yet."