Ukraine keen to just accept 30-day ceasefire with Russia as U.S. lifts freeze on support and intelligence

Jeddah, Saudi Arabia — The U.S. and Ukraine mentioned Kyiv would settle for a 30-day ceasefire with Russia after talks in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, with Washington pledging to right away elevate a freeze on intelligence sharing and navy support to Ukraine. 

“Ukraine expressed readiness to just accept the U.S. proposal to enact a direct, interim 30-day ceasefire, which might be prolonged by mutual settlement of the events, and which is topic to acceptance and concurrent implementation by the Russian Federation,”  the U.S. and Ukraine mentioned in a joint assertion launched by the State Division. “The US will talk to Russia that Russian reciprocity is the important thing to reaching peace.”

The settlement got here after greater than eight hours of negotiations between Ukrainian officers and a U.S. delegation led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio within the Saudi metropolis of Jeddah.

The assertion mentioned the U.S. “will instantly elevate the pause on intelligence sharing and resume safety help to Ukraine.” Each had been frozen within the wake of an explosive assembly between Ukrainian chief Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President Trump on the White Home on Feb. 28. 

The now-unfrozen navy support consists of roughly $1 billion in tools that was accredited by the Biden administration and has not but been delivered. The Trump administration has the authority to supply one other $3.8 billion in support however has not introduced any additional support packages. Ukraine has been buoyed by the U.S. and different Western allies in its battle towards Russia since Moscow launched a full-scale invasion in 2022, and the transfer to chop off support left Kyiv at a drawback and European allies scrambling.

Whether or not Russia will help a ceasefire stays to be seen. Steve Witkoff, Mr. Trump’s Center East envoy, shall be touring to the nation within the coming days, in accordance with an individual accustomed to the planning. Witkoff met with Russian President Vladimir Putin for greater than three hours in February.

In a press briefing following the assembly, Rubio mentioned “the ball is now in [Russia’s] court docket.”

“We’ll take this provide now to the Russians. And we hope that they’re going to say sure, that they’re going to say sure to peace,” Rubio mentioned. “The president’s goal right here is, primary, above every thing else, he needs the struggle to finish, and I believe right this moment Ukraine has taken a concrete step in that regard. We hope the Russians will reciprocate.”

The assertion from the U.S. and Ukraine mentioned they might every “identify their negotiating groups and instantly start negotiations towards a permanent peace that gives for Ukraine’s long-term safety.”

It additionally mentioned Mr. Trump and Zelenskyy would “conclude as quickly as attainable a complete settlement for growing Ukraine’s vital mineral sources to develop Ukraine’s economic system and assure Ukraine’s long-term prosperity and safety.” Washington has been pushing Kyiv to signal a deal which might grant the U.S. entry to its mineral reserves, and Zelenskyy indicated his readiness to signal a deal forward of the talks.

Rubio led the U.S. delegation to Saudi Arabia, supported by Witkoff and nationwide safety adviser Mike Waltz. Zelenskyy was visiting Saudi Arabia on the time of the talks, however didn’t take part.

Forward of the talks, a senior Ukrainian official mentioned his message to the U.S. group was the Kyiv was able to make a peace cope with Russia, and that whereas Zelenskyy would possibly nonetheless need Western safety ensures as a part of the deal to discourage any future Russian aggression, the main target was “how one can begin this course of.”

Andriy Yermak, Zelenskyy’s chief of workers, mentioned his delegation’s central message for the U.S. was that “Ukrainians desire a peace,” and that Ukraine was “able to go” to work towards that objective.

When requested about safety ensures, Yermak mentioned they had been “crucial, as a result of we would like that by no means, this aggression, [is] by no means repeated sooner or later once more. After all, it is crucial. However now we expect it’s a necessity to debate, [with] probably the most significance, how one can begin this course of.”

contributed to this report.