Ukraine ready to accept ceasefire proposal after talks with U.S.
Americans to resume military aid, intelligence sharing after Tuesday meeting
The United States agreed on Tuesday to resume military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine immediately after talks in Saudi Arabia in which Kyiv voiced readiness to accept a U.S. proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in its conflict with Russia, the countries said in a joint statement.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he would now take the offer to the Russians and that the ball is now in Moscow's court.
"Our hope is that the Russians will answer 'yes' as quickly as possible, so we can get to the second phase of this, which is real negotiations," Rubio told reporters, after more than eight hours of talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The Kremlin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine three years ago, and Russia, which has been making advances, now holds about a fifth of Ukraine's territory, including Crimea, which it annexed in 2014.
Rubio said Washington wanted a full agreement with both Russia and Ukraine "as soon as possible."
"Every day that goes by, this war continues, people die, people are bombed, people are hurt on both sides of this conflict," he said.
John Herbst, a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, told PBS News Hour that provided the proposed ceasefire was "not undercut by the next step in Moscow, it's a good day which has historic significance."
Russia says Moscow will make its own decisions
How Moscow would respond was far from certain.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he is open to discussing a peace deal, but he and his diplomats have repeatedly stated they are against a ceasefire and would seek a deal that safeguards Russia's "long-term security."
Putin has ruled out territorial concessions and said Ukraine must withdraw fully from four Ukrainian regions claimed and partly controlled by Russia.
On Tuesday, Russia's Foreign Affairs Ministry said only that it did not rule out contacts with U.S. representatives.
Herbst, the former U.S. diplomat, told PBS News Hour that he didn't think Putin would want a ceasefire as that would halt his ambitions to exert control over Ukraine.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday that Moscow would make its own decisions about the conflict in Ukraine after Kyiv said it was ready to support Washington's proposal for a 30-day ceasefire, Russian news agency TASS reported.
"The shaping of the position of the Russian Federation does not take place abroad due to some agreements or efforts of some parties. The formation of the position of the Russian Federation takes place inside the Russian Federation," she said.
In an interview published on Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow will avoid compromises that would jeopardize people's lives, Russian agencies reported.
He reiterated Russia's stance that it will under no conditions accept the presence of NATO troops in Ukraine, should there be a permanent peace settlement.
Lavrov made the remarks on Tuesday but the interview was published on Wednesday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was in Saudi Arabia but did not participate in the talks, said the ceasefire was a "positive proposal" that covers the front line in the conflict, not just fighting by air and sea.
The Ukrainian leader said the ceasefire would take effect as soon as Russia agreed.
"When the agreements come into force, during these 30 days of 'silence,' we will have time to prepare with our partners at the level of working documents all the aspects for reliable peace and long-term security," Zelenskyy said.
Rubio said the plan would be delivered to the Russians through multiple channels. U.S. President Donald Trump's national security adviser, Mike Waltz, was due to meet his Russian counterpart in the coming days, and Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, plans to visit Moscow this week to meet Putin.
On Tuesday, Trump said he hoped for a swift ceasefire and thought he would talk to Putin this week. "I hope it'll be over the next few days," he told reporters at a White House event to promote his close adviser Elon Musk's Tesla car company.
The U.S.-Ukraine agreement was a sharp turnaround from an acrimonious White House meeting on Feb. 28 between the new Republican U.S. president, who has long been a Ukraine aid skeptic, and Zelenskyy.
In Tuesday's joint statement, the two countries said they agreed to conclude as soon as possible a comprehensive agreement for developing Ukraine's critical mineral resources, which had been in the works and was thrown into limbo by that meeting.
Following that encounter, the U.S. cut off intelligence sharing and weapons shipments to Ukraine, underlining Trump's willingness to pressure a U.S. ally as he pivots to a more conciliatory approach to Moscow.
Trump said on Tuesday he would invite Zelenskyy back to the White House.
Ukrainian officials said late on Tuesday that both U.S. military assistance and intelligence sharing had resumed.
Ukraine seeks security guarantees
A top aide to Zelenskyy said options for security guarantees to Ukraine were discussed with U.S. officials. Security guarantees have been one of Kyiv's key aims, and some European countries have expressed willingness to explore sending peacekeepers.
In the joint statement, Ukraine reiterated that European partners should be involved in the peace process. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will be at the White House on Thursday.
"It seems like the Americans and Ukrainians have taken an important step towards peace. And Europe stands ready to help reach a just and lasting peace," Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk posted on X.
Waltz, the U.S. national security adviser, said the initial resumption of military assistance for Ukraine would involve equipment from U.S. stockpiles approved by former U.S. president Joe Biden and stopped by Trump.
With files from CBC News