Ukraine has announced its willingness to accept an immediate 30-day ceasefire with Russia, a proposal put forth by the United States following discussions between the two nations in Saudi Arabia.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that he would present the proposal to Moscow, emphasizing that “the ball is in their court.” However, Russia has yet to issue a public response to the offer.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed optimism about the proposal, asserting that it is now Washington’s responsibility to persuade Russia to agree to the “positive” plan.
The meeting in Jeddah on Tuesday marked the first formal engagement between Ukraine and the US since the heated confrontation between Zelensky and US President Donald Trump at the Oval Office on February 28.
In a joint statement, the US declared its commitment to resuming intelligence-sharing and security assistance to Ukraine, which had been previously halted due to the public dispute at the White House.
“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 statement read.
During a press conference in Jeddah late Tuesday, Rubio expressed hope that Russia would accept the ceasefire proposal.
Ukraine, he stated, was “ready to stop shooting and start talking,” adding that if Russia were to reject the proposal, “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,” Rubio 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.
Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, who was present at the Jeddah talks, is expected to travel to Russia in the coming days, a source with knowledge of the planning told the BBC. However, this plan remains subject to change.
The proposed ceasefire extends beyond Zelensky’s initial call for a partial truce, which had been limited to air and naval conflicts.
Following the meeting, Zelensky expressed gratitude toward Trump, acknowledging “the constructiveness” of the discussions in Jeddah.
In a video message, he urged Russia to demonstrate its willingness to “stop the war or continue the war.”
“It is time for the full truth,” he declared.
The Kremlin has yet to provide an official reaction. However, on Tuesday, Moscow indicated that it would release a statement after Washington briefed it on the outcome of the discussions.
Prominent Russian lawmaker Kostantin Kosachev remarked that any agreements would be made “on our terms, not American.”
Kosachev, chairman of the Federation Council’s international affairs committee, further stated that “real agreements are still being written… at the front,” underscoring that Russian forces were continuing their advance in Ukraine.
Since launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russia has seized control of approximately 20% of Ukrainian territory.
Meanwhile, at the White House, Trump told reporters that he planned to engage in discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin, expressing hope that he would agree to the ceasefire.
“It takes two to tango, as they say,” Trump remarked, voicing optimism that the deal could be reached in the coming days.
“We have a big meeting with Russia tomorrow, and some great conversations hopefully will ensue,” he said.
Trump also mentioned that he was open to inviting Zelensky back to Washington.
Maria Zakharova, the Russian Foreign Ministry’s spokeswoman, indicated that Moscow had not ruled out further discussions with US representatives in the coming days, according to Russia’s state-owned news agency Tass.
Asked about whether Trump and Zelensky’s relationship was “back on track,” Rubio dismissed the notion, instead emphasizing that “peace” was the true priority.
“This is not Mean Girls, this is not some episode of some television show,” Rubio stated.
“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 teams convened in Jeddah following a series of overnight drone strikes near Moscow, which left at least three people dead. Russian officials argued that these attacks demonstrated Ukraine’s unwillingness to pursue a diplomatic resolution to the war.
As tensions continue, questions remain about the origins of the conflict.
Why did Putin’s Russia invade Ukraine?
In a significant escalation, the Moscow region suffered its largest drone attack since the start of the full-scale war.
Additionally, Ukraine hopes that an agreement with the US regarding critical minerals will help secure Washington’s continued support.
During the talks, Trump and Zelensky reaffirmed their commitment to finalizing a key minerals agreement “as soon as possible,” according to their joint statement.
Ukraine has proposed granting the US access to its rare earth mineral reserves in exchange for American security guarantees. However, this arrangement was previously disrupted by tensions at the White House.
Rubio clarified that the minerals agreement was not a primary focus of Tuesday’s discussions, but had instead been negotiated separately by the US and Ukrainian treasuries.
Also present at the Jeddah meeting was US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz.
The joint US-Ukraine statement emphasized Kyiv’s stance that Europe must play a role in any future peace process.
Washington’s evolving approach to the conflict—including efforts to sideline European nations in negotiations—has sparked emergency meetings among European leaders in recent weeks.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the “positive development” emerging from Tuesday’s discussions.
The pursuit of a swift resolution to the war in Ukraine has been a major policy objective for the US president.
Trump has increasingly pressured Zelensky to accept a ceasefire, though he has refrained from providing the immediate security guarantees that the Ukrainian leader has insisted upon.
On Friday, Trump issued an unusual warning of additional sanctions against Moscow as part of his efforts to broker a deal. Russia is already heavily sanctioned by the US over the war.
Trump justified the potential new measures by stating that “Russia is absolutely ‘pounding’ Ukraine on the battlefield right now.”
Meanwhile, hostilities continued on the ground on Tuesday.
In the Moscow region, three men were killed in what Russian officials described as the most extensive drone assault on the Russian capital since the beginning of the full-scale war.
Health authorities reported that an additional 18 people, including three children, sustained injuries in the attacks.
According to Russia’s defense ministry, a total of 337 drones were intercepted across Russian territory, with 91 of them being shot down over the Moscow region.
Ukraine also faced continued bombardment, with officials reporting Russian drone strikes on Kyiv and multiple other regions.
Ukraine’s air force claimed to have intercepted 79 of the 126 drones launched by Russia, along with an Iskander-M ballistic missile.
At the time of reporting, there were no immediate details on casualties resulting from the Ukrainian strikes.