Ukraine agreed to a comprehensive 30-day ceasefire that includes air and maritime activity after talks with the U.S. in Saudi Arabia on March 11, contingent on Russia’s compliance.
“The United States will communicate to Russia that Russian reciprocity is the key to achieving peace,” a joint statement from the Ukrainian and U.S. delegations in Jeddah says.
Marco Rubio led the U.S. delegation, alongside national security adviser Mike Waltz. The Ukrainian delegation was led by Andrii Yermak (chief of president’s staff), Andrii Sybiha (foreign minister), and Rustem Umerov (defense minister).
The Ukraine-U.S. agreement would restore military aid to Ukraine, which was severed after an explosive exchange in the Oval Office between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Specifically, the ceasefire encompasses not only missiles, drones, and bombs, but also extend along the entire front line, including the Black Sea, according to Zelenskyy.
Additionally, Washington will immediately lift the pause on intelligence sharing.
Washington and Kyiv also agreed to finalize a deal on mineral resources as soon as possible to strengthen Ukraine’s economy and ensure “long-term prosperity and security.”
Since Russia’s full-blown invasion three years ago, the war has left more than 1 million combatants killed or wounded and has displaced more than 10 million civilians and the United Nations says that the cost to rebuild Ukraine is more than $500 billion over a decade.
The talks also focused on prisoner exchanges, the release of detained civilians, and the return of forcibly displaced Ukrainian children as part of the truce.
“The United States committed to discussing these specific proposals with representatives from Russia,” the statement said.
Rubio added that Washington would present the proposal to Russia.
Moscow reacted to the outcomes of the talks, with Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stating, “Russia’s position will not be formed abroad through any agreements or efforts of certain parties. Russia’s position is shaped within Russia.”
As head of the Ukrainian delegation, presidential office head Andrii Yermak announced that discussions on the details of the ceasefire will begin next week, and that various options for security guarantees were also discussed in Jeddah.
“These guarantees must fully prevent any future aggression,” Yermak said, although he provided no further details.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian delegation stressed that European partners must be involved in the peace process.
French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed the negotiations but emphasized that Russia’s response is still awaited. “The ball is now clearly in Russia’s court,” he wrote.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni echoed this sentiment.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the outcomes a “remarkable breakthrough.”
“This is an important moment for peace in Ukraine. We now all need to redouble our efforts to get to a lasting and secure peace as soon as possible,” he said.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen praised the talks, particularly the U.S. decision to resume military aid to Ukraine.
“This is a positive development that can be a step towards a comprehensive, just and lasting peace for Ukraine,” she said.
EU chief foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas emphasized that “it is now for Russia to show its willingness to achieve peace.”
Cover: Office of the President of Ukraine
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