US-Ukraine Talks: Kyiv Agrees to Interim Ceasefire, Awaits Moscow’s Response
Ukraine has agreed to a US proposal for an interim ceasefire in its ongoing war with Russia, following crucial peace talks between American and Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia.
Kyiv is waiting for Moscow’s acceptance of the ceasefire terms, which will pause fighting for 30 days. Meanwhile, the US announced it would resume intelligence sharing and security assistance to Ukraine.
Interim Ceasefire
After more than eight hours of talks in Jeddah, the US and Ukraine issued a joint statement announcing the outcomes of the meeting.
According to the statement, Ukraine expressed “readiness to accept the US proposal to enact an immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire, which can be extended by mutual agreement of the parties.”
The statement added that the ceasefire “is subject to acceptance and concurrent implementation by the Russian Federation,” and that the US “will communicate to Russia that Russian reciprocity is the key to achieving peace.”
Furthermore, the US will “immediately lift the pause on intelligence sharing and resume security assistance to Ukraine,” the statement said.
Advancing Peace Process
The discussions in Jeddah highlighted the importance of humanitarian relief efforts as part of the peace process, particularly during the proposed ceasefire, the statement noted. These include “the exchange of prisoners of war, the release of civilian detainees, and the return of forcibly transferred Ukrainian children.”
Both sides agreed to immediately start negotiations toward an “enduring peace” in Ukraine. The statement said that the US took the responsibility of discussing these details with Russia’s representatives, while Ukrainians reiterated that European partners shall be involved in the peace process.
Moreover, both countries’ presidents agreed to conclude a comprehensive rare minerals deal “as soon as possible” to expand Ukraine’s economy and guarantee Ukraine’s long-term prosperity and security, according to the statement.
Constructive US-Ukraine Talks
The Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, praised the outcomes of the US-Ukraine talks in Saudi Arabia. In a post on X, Zelensky said that the talks were “good and constructive.”
The Ukrainian leader stressed that Kyiv has been seeking peace from the beginning. He added that the Ukrainian proposal included 3 points: a halt of aerial and naval attacks, the release of Ukrainian prisoners, and the return of Ukrainian children from Russia.
Zelensky said that the US proposal, which covers the entire front line, is a “positive step” that Kyiv is ready to take.
The US delegation to the talks included the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, and National Security Advisor, Michael Waltz, while the Ukrainian delegation included the Head of the President’s Office, Andriy Yermak, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Andriy Sybiha, and Minister of Defense, Rustem Umerov.
Saudi Arabia’s Peace Efforts
On Tuesday, 11 March 2025, Saudi Arabia hosted the critical US-Ukraine talks in Jeddah, upon the directives of the Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Salman. The Saudi Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, and the Minister of State and Member of the Council of Ministers, Musaed bin Mohammed Al-Aiban, were present at the talks.
The talks come as part of Saudi Arabia’s efforts to “resolve the crisis in Ukraine and leverage its balanced relations with all parties,” the Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement. They also align with the Kingdom’s efforts to “enhance global security and peace, and based on its belief in the importance of adhering to international laws and norms.”
Furthermore, the talks come as part of the Kingdom’s belief that “dialogue is the only path to resolving disputes and bringing perspectives of both sides closer to achieve productive results that contribute to global security and peace,” the statement added.
📹 | Upon the directives of HRH the Crown Prince, the Kingdom hosted talks today between the United States of America and Ukraine, in the presence of HH the Foreign Minister Prince @FaisalbinFarhan, and H.E. Dr. Musaed bin Mohammed Al-Aiban, Minister of State and Member of the… pic.twitter.com/LJSOc4BMy3
— Foreign Ministry 🇸🇦 (@KSAmofaEN) March 11, 2025
Both the US and Ukraine thanked the Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, for his gracious hospitality. These talks follow the historic US-Russia talks, hosted by Saudi Arabia on February 18, 2025. The peace talks aimed to set the stage for a Trump-Putin summit, in order to restore ties between both countries and end the conflict in Ukraine.
After the meetings, the Russian top foreign policy adviser, Yury Ushakov, said that the discussions “went well,” and was “a serious conversation on all issues.” Furthermore, the US State Department described the talks as “an important step forward” to establish enduring peace.
Trump’s Reaction
Following the talks on Tuesday, the US President, Donald Trump, expressed his optimism that Russia would agree to the interim ceasefire, according to CNN.
“Ukraine has agreed to it, and hopefully Russia will agree to it – we’re going to meet with them later on today and tomorrow, and hopefully we’ll be able to (work) out a deal,” told reporters at the White House.
“But I think the ceasefire is very important, if we can get Russia to do it, that’ll be great,” he added. “I’ll talk to Vladimir Putin. So hopefully he’ll also agree,” Trump said.
The agreement marks a significant change of tone after the public spat that took place between Trump and Zelensky less than two weeks ago.
Europeans’ Response
The European leaders have endorsed the ceasefire proposal. The European Union (EU) called the agreement a “positive development.” Meanwhile, the British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, congratulated the US and Ukrainian leaders on the “remarkable breakthrough.”
Moreover, European officials from The Netherlands, Sweden, the Czech Republic and France welcomed the ceasefire proposal.
Russia’s Position
After the meeting in Jeddah, the US State Secretary said that the US would take the proposal to Russia, hoping they would accept it. “We hope that they’ll say yes, that they’ll say yes to peace. The ball is now in their court,” Rubio said.
With regards to Russia’s response, a spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry said that Moscow does not rule out contact with US representatives in “the next few days.”
