Ukraine Backs US Proposal For 30-Day Ceasefire In War With Russia

The United States agreed to restore military funding and promised to finalize an agreement on Ukrainian minerals "as soon as possible" during the first high-level US-Ukraine meeting since President Volodymyr Zelensky's White House dressing down, according to a joint statement.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated, "Today we made an offer that the Ukrainians have accepted, which is to enter into a ceasefire and into immediate negotiations."

In the hopes that they will accept peace, we will now present this offer to the Russians. They now have the ball in their court," he continued.

The US plan to implement an immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire that can be prolonged by mutual agreement between the parties was welcomed by Ukraine, according to the joint statement.

The statement further stated that the ceasefire is "subject to acceptance and concurrent implementation by the Russian Federation."

"The United States will convey to Russia that establishing peace requires Russian reciprocity."

Mike Waltz, the national security advisor, stated that he would now discuss the plan with Russia and that it was now a matter of "how," not "if," the conflict would end.

Following Ukraine's largest direct strike on Moscow overnight, in which hundreds of drones crashed into the capital and other locations, killing three people, the negotiations in western Saudi Arabia were held.

Following Zelensky's public dispute with President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, the Ukrainians sought to reestablish access to satellite imaging, information sharing, and military assistance from the United States.

They entered the meeting with a proposal for a sea and sky ceasefire that had been cautiously welcomed by Rubio.

“We are ready to do everything to achieve peace,” the Ukrainian president’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak told reporters as he entered Tuesday’s meeting at a luxury hotel.

Kyiv said the “largest drone attack in history” was intended to push Russian President Vladimir Putin to agree to the aerial and naval ceasefire.

“This is an additional signal to Putin that he should also be interested in a ceasefire in the air,” said Andriy Kovalenko, a national security council official responsible for countering disinformation.

Zelensky left the White House late last month without signing a deal that would have given the US control over Ukrainian mineral resources. He met with Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler in Jeddah on Monday.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskov responded, "There are no (peace) negotiations yet, so there is nothing to disrupt here," when asked if the drone strike overnight may scuttle peace talks.

Additionally, he had already declined to comment on Russia's position about the planned partial ceasefire.

"At this time, it is completely impossible to discuss positions," he stated.

"As they themselves state, the Americans won't know how prepared Ukraine is for peace until today."

For its part, Russia has escalated strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure, and said it had retaken 12 settlements in its Kursk region that Ukraine had captured in a bid for bargaining leverage.

Zelensky remained silent during Vice President JD Vance's criticism during the infamous White House meeting last month, when the Ukrainian leader questioned why his nation should believe Russian promises.

Since then, he has sent Trump a letter of repentance.

Rubio had signalled that the Trump administration would likely be pleased by the Ukrainian proposal of a partial ceasefire.

“I’m not saying that alone is enough, but it’s the kind of concession you would need to see in order to end the conflict,” he told reporters.

Rubio said he did not expect to be “drawing lines on a map” towards a final deal in the Jeddah meeting, but that he would bring ideas back to Russia.

Rubio and Waltz met last month with counterparts from Russia, also in Saudi Arabia, ending a freeze in high-level contacts imposed by former president Joe Biden after Russia defied Western warnings and launched its invasion.

Trump last week also threatened further sanctions against Russia to force it to the table as it carried out strikes on Ukraine.

But Trump’s dramatic reversal in US policy — including claiming Ukraine was to blame for the war, and recently backing with Russia at the UN — has surprised many friends.

Rubio said Monday that the United States would also object to “antagonistic” comments on Russia from a planned gathering of Group of Seven foreign ministers.

AFP