US set to present 30-day ceasefire offer to Russia

After a day of talks between the US and Ukraine in Saudi Arabia, Ukraine has expressed its readiness to accept an immediate 30-day ceasefire with Russia, as proposed by the US. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced he would present the offer to Russia, adding that "the ball is in their court," though Moscow has not yet publicly responded. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that it is now up to the US to persuade Russia to accept the "positive" proposal. The discussions in Jeddah marked the first official meeting between the two countries since the contentious encounter between Zelensky and US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on February 28.

In a joint statement, the US announced it would immediately resume intelligence sharing and security assistance to Ukraine, which had been suspended following the unprecedented public dispute at the White House.

The statement also revealed that both the US and Ukraine had agreed to establish negotiating teams and begin discussions toward a lasting peace that ensures Ukraine's long-term security.

During a press conference in Jeddah on Tuesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed hope that Russia would accept the proposed ceasefire. He emphasized that Ukraine was "ready to stop shooting and start talking." Rubio added that if Russia rejected the proposal, "we’ll unfortunately know what the impediment is to peace."

Rubio further stated, "Today, we made an offer that the Ukrainians have accepted, which is to enter into a ceasefire and immediate negotiations. We’ll take this offer to the Russians, and we hope they’ll say yes to peace. The ball is now in their court."

Steve Witkoff, Trump's special envoy who participated in the Jeddah talks, is expected to travel to Russia in the coming days, according to a source familiar with the plans, though this could change.

The 30-day ceasefire offer is a broader step than Ukraine's previous proposal for a partial truce in the skies and at sea. President Zelensky thanked Trump for the "constructiveness" of the Jeddah discussions. In a video message, he said Russia must "show its willingness to stop the war or continue the war," adding that "it is time for the full truth."

The Kremlin has not yet publicly responded, though it stated earlier that it would issue a statement after receiving a briefing from Washington on the talks. However, Russian lawmaker Konstantin Kosachev emphasized that any potential agreements would be made "on our terms, not American terms." He also pointed out that "real agreements are still being written... at the front," noting Russian troop advances in Ukraine.

Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Moscow has controlled about 20% of Ukrainian territory.

At the White House, President Trump expressed hope that Russian President Vladimir Putin would "hopefully" accept the ceasefire proposal. "It takes two to tango, as they say," Trump remarked, adding that he was hopeful for a deal within the next few days. He also indicated a possibility of inviting Zelensky back to Washington.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova confirmed that Russia had not ruled out talks with US representatives in the coming days, according to the state-owned news agency Tass.

When asked if the relationship between Trump and Zelensky was "back on track," Rubio clarified that it was peace, not personal relationships, that was the priority. "This is not Mean Girls; this is not some episode of some television show," he said. "Today, people will die in this war, they died yesterday, and – sadly – unless there's a ceasefire, they will die tomorrow."

The talks took place after overnight drone strikes near Moscow killed at least three people, an attack that Russia claimed showed Ukraine's rejection of diplomacy.

Trump and Zelensky have also agreed to finalize a crucial deal on critical minerals "as soon as possible," according to the joint statement.

Ukraine had previously offered the US access to its rare earth mineral reserves in exchange for US security guarantees, but the deal was stalled following the public dispute at the White House. While Rubio clarified that the deal was not part of Tuesday’s discussions, it had been negotiated between US and Ukrainian treasuries.

The US delegation in Jeddah also included National Security Advisor Mike Waltz. The joint US-Ukraine statement emphasized that Kyiv had "reiterated" the importance of involving Europe in any peace process.

This shift in the US approach to the war, which had previously excluded Europe from talks, has prompted several emergency meetings between European leaders in recent weeks. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed Tuesday’s "positive development."

Achieving a swift resolution to the war in Ukraine remains a key priority for President Trump. He has been applying increasing pressure on Zelensky to accept a ceasefire, though without offering the immediate security guarantees that the Ukrainian president insists upon.

On Friday, Trump made a rare threat of additional sanctions against Moscow as part of his push for a deal. Russia is already facing heavy US sanctions due to the war. Trump stated that he was considering further sanctions because "Russia is absolutely 'pounding' Ukraine on the battlefield right now."

The US is set to present a 30-day ceasefire proposal to Russia following peace talks between the US and Ukraine in Saudi Arabia. Ukraine has expressed readiness to accept the offer, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announcing that the proposal would be presented to Russia, adding that "the ball is in their court." Moscow has yet to publicly comment on the issue.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized that it is now up to the US to convince Russia to accept the "positive" proposal. The talks in Jeddah marked the first official meeting between the US and Ukraine since the February 28 clash between Zelensky and US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office.

In a joint statement, the US also announced the immediate resumption of intelligence sharing and security assistance to Ukraine, which had been suspended after the public row between the White House and Kyiv. Both countries agreed to form negotiating teams and begin talks aimed at securing a lasting peace for Ukraine’s long-term security.

Rubio expressed hope that Russia would accept the ceasefire proposal, stating that Ukraine is "ready to stop shooting and start talking." He added that if Russia rejected the offer, it would be clear what was hindering peace. He also said, "Today we made an offer that the Ukrainians have accepted, which is to enter into a ceasefire and immediate negotiations. 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."

Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff, who was present at the Jeddah talks, is set to travel to Russia in the coming days, although plans may change.

The 30-day ceasefire offer goes beyond Zelensky's earlier proposal for a partial truce in the sky and at sea. Zelensky thanked Trump for the "constructiveness" of the Jeddah discussions, urging Russia to "show its willingness to stop the war or continue the war." He added, "It is time for the full truth."

The Kremlin has not yet publicly responded, but Russian lawmaker Konstantin Kosachev stressed that any potential agreements would be made "on our terms, not American terms." He also pointed out that "real agreements are still being written... at the front," as Russian troops continue to advance in Ukraine. Since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, Moscow has controlled about 20% of Ukrainian territory.

At the White House, Trump told reporters that he would speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who he hoped would "hopefully" agree to the proposal. "It takes two to tango," Trump said, adding that he was optimistic a deal could be reached in the coming days. He also mentioned the possibility of inviting Zelensky back to Washington.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that Russia had not ruled out talks with US representatives in the next few days, according to Russian news agency Tass.

When asked whether Trump and Zelensky's relationship was "back on track," Rubio clarified that the focus was on peace, not personal relations. "This is not Mean Girls; this is not some episode of a television show," Rubio said. "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 met after a significant drone attack near Moscow killed at least three people. Russia claimed this attack demonstrated Ukraine's rejection of diplomacy to end the war.

Trump and Zelensky have also agreed to finalize a critical minerals deal "as soon as possible," as stated in the joint declaration. Ukraine had previously offered the US access to its rare earth mineral reserves in exchange for US security guarantees, but the deal was delayed following the White House dispute. Rubio noted that this issue had not been discussed in the talks but had been negotiated between US and Ukrainian treasuries.

The joint statement also highlighted that Ukraine had "reiterated" the importance of involving Europe in the peace process. The shift in America's approach to the war, which had previously excluded Europe from talks, has led to several emergency meetings between European leaders in recent weeks. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the "positive development."

Achieving a swift end to the war has been a key goal for President Trump, who has increasingly pressured Zelensky to accept a ceasefire, though without offering the immediate security guarantees Zelensky insists upon. On Friday, Trump also issued a rare threat of further sanctions against Russia in an effort to push for a deal. Russia is already heavily sanctioned by the US over the conflict. Trump stated that he was considering further sanctions because "Russia is absolutely 'pounding' Ukraine on the battlefield right now."

Meanwhile, on the ground, the war continued. On Tuesday, the Moscow region was hit by what was described as the largest drone attack on the Russian capital since the war began. Three people were killed, and at least 18 others, including three children, were injured. The Russian Defense Ministry reported intercepting 337 drones, with 91 shot down over the Moscow region. Ukrainian officials also reported Russian drone attacks on Kyiv and several other regions, with Ukraine's air force shooting down 79 out of 126 Russian drones, along with an Iskander-M ballistic missile. It was unclear if there were any casualties in the Ukrainian attacks.