Ukraine has expressed its readiness to accept a 30-day ceasefire with Russia, as proposed by the United States, following a day of talks between US and Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that he would present the ceasefire offer to Russia, stating that "the ball is in their court."
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized that it is now up to the US to persuade Russia to accept the proposal, which he described as "positive." These talks in Jeddah marked the first official meeting between the two countries since the dramatic confrontation between Zelensky and former US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office.
A joint statement from the US and Ukraine revealed that the US would immediately resume intelligence sharing and security assistance to Ukraine, which had been suspended after the contentious meeting between Trump and Zelensky. "Both delegations agreed to designate their negotiating teams and begin discussions aimed at securing long-term peace and ensuring Ukraine's security," the statement read.
At a press conference in Jeddah, Rubio expressed hope that Russia would accept the ceasefire offer. He stated that Ukraine was "ready to stop shooting and start talking" and that if Russia rejected the proposal, the world would understand what stood in the way of peace. "Today we made an offer that the Ukrainians have accepted, which is to enter into a ceasefire and begin immediate negotiations," Rubio said. "We’ll present this offer to the Russians and hope they say yes to peace. The ball is now in their court."
The 30-day ceasefire proposal goes beyond Zelensky’s earlier suggestion of a partial truce limited to the sea and airspace. In a video message, Zelensky thanked Trump for the "constructive" talks in Jeddah and emphasized that Russia must "show its willingness to either stop the war or continue the war." He also stated that it was "time for the full truth."
Russia has yet to respond, but the Kremlin indicated earlier that it would issue a statement after being briefed by Washington on the talks’ outcome. Since launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Moscow has controlled about 20% of Ukrainian territory.
At the White House, Trump told reporters that he planned to speak with President Vladimir Putin, who he hoped would "hopefully" agree to the proposal. "It takes two to tango," Trump remarked, adding that he was optimistic the deal could be reached in the coming days. Trump also mentioned the possibility of inviting Zelensky back to Washington.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that Russia had not ruled out talks with US representatives in the near future, according to Russia's state news agency Tass.
When asked about the status of Trump and Zelensky’s relationship, Rubio responded that his focus was on getting peace "back on track," rather than on any personal conflicts. "This is not a reality show; it's about lives," he said. "People are dying in this war today, they died yesterday, and unless there’s a ceasefire, they’ll die tomorrow."
The talks took place against the backdrop of ongoing violence, as overnight drone attacks on Moscow killed at least three people. Russia claimed this attack demonstrated Ukraine's rejection of diplomatic efforts to end the war. Meanwhile, Ukraine reported Russian drone strikes on Kyiv and several other regions. The Ukrainian air force said it had shot down 79 out of 126 drones launched by Russia, as well as an Iskander-M ballistic missile.
In addition to the ceasefire discussions, the US and Ukraine also agreed to finalize a critical minerals deal. Ukraine offered the US access to its rare earth mineral reserves in exchange for US security guarantees. However, this agreement was derailed by the tensions between the White House and Zelensky. Rubio clarified that while the deal was not a subject of the talks in Jeddah, it had been previously negotiated with both US and Ukrainian treasury departments.
The US delegation in Jeddah also included national security advisor Mike Waltz and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, with Witkoff set to travel to Russia in the coming days, although plans could change.
In the joint statement, Ukraine reiterated that any peace process should include Europe’s involvement. The US's shift in approach to the war, which had previously excluded Europe from discussions, has led to several emergency meetings among European leaders in recent weeks. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed support for Tuesday’s "positive development."
For US President Trump, achieving a swift resolution to the war in Ukraine has been a key priority. He has placed increasing pressure on Zelensky to accept a ceasefire, but without offering the immediate security guarantees Ukraine has demanded. On Friday, Trump threatened further sanctions against Russia, already heavily sanctioned over the conflict, in an effort to push for a deal. He explained the threat, saying, "Russia is absolutely pounding Ukraine on the battlefield right now."
As the war continues, the situation remains uncertain, with heavy losses on both sides and little clarity on whether peace talks will lead to any significant change on the ground.
