Ukraine agrees to U.S.-led ceasefire plan if Russia accepts

Ukraine agreed Tuesday to an immediate 30-day ceasefire negotiated by the United States if Russia accepts the plan, officials said.

As part of the plan, the United States immediately lifted its pause on sharing intelligence with Ukraine, and will resume security assistance to that country, which was invaded by Russia more than three years ago.

“Ukraine is ready to start talking and stop shooting,” said Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Jedda, Saudi Arabia, after more than seven hours of negotiations in that city between high-level American and Ukrainian delegations.

Both U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy agreed to conclude “as soon as possible a comprehensive agreement for developing Ukraine’s critical mineral resources,” according to a joint statement by the two nations’ governments.

Zelenskyy in a statement said the planned ceasefire would halt all hostilities, “not just for missiles, drones and bombs, not just in the Black Sea, but along the entire front line.”

“Ukraine welcomes this proposal. We see it as a positive step, and we are ready to take it,” Zelenskyy said. “The United States must now persuade Russia to do the same. If Russia agrees, silence will take effect immediately.”

Rubio said, “Today, we made an offer that the Ukrainians have accepted, which is to enter into a ceasefire and into immediate negotiations to end this conflict in a way that’s enduring and sustainable and accounts for their interests, their security, their ability to prosper as a nation,” Rubio said.

“And hopefully we’ll take this offer now to the Russians, and we hope that they’ll say yes, that they’ll say yes to peace,” Rubio said. “The ball is now in their court.” 

In a joint statement, the U.S. and Ukrainian delegations said the interim, month-long ceasefire “can be extended by mutual agreement of the parties.

“The United States will communicate to Russia that Russian reciprocity is the key to achieving peace,” the statement said.

Zelenskyy in his nightly televised address to Ukraine said, “Our position is absolutely clear: Ukraine has sought peace from the very first second of this war, and we want to do everything to achieve peace as quickly and reliably as possible — so that war never returns.”

According to the joint statement issued by Ukraine and the U.S., the two delegations “also discussed the importance of humanitarian relief efforts as part of the peace process, particularly during the above-mentioned ceasefire, including the exchange of prisoners of war, the release of civilian detainees, and the return of forcibly transferred Ukrainian children,” the statement said.

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