Kyiv has agreed to a 30-day ceasefire with Russia following talks in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, with Washington committing to immediately lift its freeze on intelligence sharing and military aid.
“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 U.S. and Ukraine said in a joint statement released by the State Department. “The United States will communicate to Russia that Russian reciprocity is the key to achieving peace.”
The agreement followed more than eight hours of negotiations between Ukrainian officials and a U.S. delegation led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Jeddah.
Whether Russia will agree to the ceasefire remains uncertain. Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, is expected to travel to Moscow in the coming days. Witkoff previously met with Russian President Vladimir Putin for over three hours in February.
At a press briefing after the talks, Rubio said the next move is up to Moscow.
The statement from the U.S. and Ukraine said both sides would “name their negotiating teams and immediately begin negotiations toward an enduring peace that provides for Ukraine’s long-term security.” It also confirmed plans for Trump and Zelensky to finalize an agreement on Ukraine’s critical mineral resources, a deal Washington has been advocating to expand Kyiv’s economy and bolster its security.
Rubio led the U.S. delegation to Saudi Arabia, joined by Witkoff and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz. Zelensky was in Saudi Arabia at the time of the talks but did not participate.
