Ukraine has agreed to accept a U.S. proposal for a 30-day ceasefire with Russia, according to a joint statement released Tuesday after high-level talks in Saudi Arabia.
The agreement is contingent on Russia’s acceptance, which remains uncertain.
“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 the statement released by the State Department.
The breakthrough came after more than eight hours of negotiations in Jeddah between Ukrainian officials and a U.S. delegation led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. National Security Adviser Mike Waltz also participated in the talks.
“The ball is now in their court. We hope the Russians will reciprocate,” Rubio said in a press conference following the meeting. “If the Russians say no we will know what the impediment is here.”
The United States committed to immediately lifting its pause on intelligence sharing and resuming security assistance to Ukraine. Both were frozen approximately 10 days ago following what sources described as an “explosive” meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President Donald Trump at the White House on February 28.
Ukraine’s delegation was led by Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak. Though Zelenskyy was in Saudi Arabia at the time, he did not participate in the negotiations.
“Ukrainians want a peace,” Yermak said, adding that Ukraine was “ready to go” toward that goal. He emphasized that security guarantees were “very important, because we want that never, this aggression, [is] never repeated in the future again.”
The joint statement also committed both countries to “conclude as soon as possible a comprehensive agreement for developing Ukraine’s critical mineral resources” that would expand Ukraine’s economy and “guarantee Ukraine’s long-term prosperity and security.” Washington has reportedly been pushing Kyiv to sign a deal granting the U.S. access to Ukraine’s mineral reserves.
Waltz clarified that the ceasefire would cover all fighting, not just air and missile strikes. “Before you negotiate you need to stop shooting at each other. That’s what the president wanted to see,” Rubio added.
Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy who met with Russian President Vladimir Putin for more than three hours in February, is expected to travel to Moscow on Thursday to discuss the ceasefire proposal with Putin.
Both delegations have agreed to name their negotiating teams and begin immediate talks toward a comprehensive peace agreement. Rubio indicated he will meet with his G7 counterparts soon to discuss next steps.
The proposed ceasefire, if implemented, would mark a significant diplomatic breakthrough in the three-year war that began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.