President Trump's administration has reactivated military aid and intelligence to Ukraine as Kiev has accepted a US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in the war against Russia, pending a deal with Moscow, US and Ukrainian officials said on Tuesday after talks in Saudi Arabia.
"Today was a good day for peace. Thanks to President Trump's leadership and the gracious hospitality of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, we are one step closer to restoring lasting peace to Ukraine. The ball is now in Russia's court," Secretary Rubio said in a post on the X network, according to A2.
Washington has frozen military and intelligence aid to Ukraine in an effort to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to begin talks to end the war with Russia. The freeze on US aid came days after a tense meeting in the Oval Office between President Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who led the US delegation to the talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, said Washington would present the ceasefire proposal to the Kremlin. So far, Russia has opposed anything short of a permanent end to the conflict without accepting any concessions.
“We will tell them that this is what we have on the table. Ukraine is ready to stop the war and start dialogue. Now it will be up to them to accept or to say no,” Secretary Rubio told reporters after the meeting. “If they say no, then unfortunately we will know what the obstacle to peace is.”
President Trump's national security adviser, Mike Waltz, said: "The Ukrainian delegation made it very clear today that they share President Trump's vision for peace."
Tuesday's discussions, which lasted nearly eight hours, appear to have put an end, at least for the time being, to the disagreements between Presidents Zelenskyy and Trump.
Mr. Waltz said the two sides discussed details of ending the war permanently, including long-term security guarantees. He said President Trump agreed to immediately lift the freeze on billions of dollars in U.S. military aid to Ukraine and intelligence sharing. President Trump has said he hopes to reach an agreement in the coming days.
"I know we have a very important meeting with Russia tomorrow and I hope we have great talks," President Trump said without giving details.
President Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is expected to travel to Moscow later this week, where he could meet with President Vladimir Putin, according to a person with knowledge of the matter but not authorized to comment publicly. He said plans could change.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke immediately after the conclusion of peace talks, reiterating Ukraine's commitment to achieving a lasting peace, while emphasizing that his country has sought to end the war since its beginning.
"Our position is absolutely clear. Ukraine has been striving for peace from the first second of this war and we want to do everything possible to achieve it as soon as possible, safely and to ensure that the war does not return," Mr. Zelenskyy said.
Ukrainian presidential aide Andriy Yermak, who led the Ukrainian delegation, described the negotiations as positive. In a joint statement with the US side, he said that the two countries “share the same vision and that we are moving in the same direction for a just peace, long awaited by all Ukrainians.”/ Voice of America (A2 Televizion)
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