Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday, March 11 that the United States proposed a 30-day ceasefire after Ukraine accepted critical peace talks between U.S. and Ukrainian officials.
The ceasefire proposal accepted by Ukraine covers the entire frontline of fighting Russia, not just in the air and the ocean, Zelensky said after an eight-hour meeting.
“Ukraine accepts this proposal, we think it is positive, and we are ready to take such steps, and the United States of America must convince Russia to do so,” Zelensky said.
In a joint statement with Ukraine after the Jeddah meeting, the U.S. said it would “revoke the pause of intelligence sharing immediately and restore security assistance to Ukraine.” A Ukrainian official confirmed Tuesday that U.S. security assistance to Ukraine has resumed.
After the meeting, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio immediately said that the current baton was taking steps with Russia to end the war. “We hope they will say yes, they will say yes to peace. Now, the ball is on their court,” he said of the Russians.
U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed the news and vowed to talk to Russian President Vladimir Putin about the plan, which could be this week.
The negotiations on Tuesday took place at a critical moment in the war, with Moscow’s troops continuing to move forward in the Kursk region of Russia – Ukraine launched a shocking invasion in Russia in August, threatening Kiev’s only territorial bargaining counter.
The United States-Ukraine joint statement stressed that Kiev said it was “represented to accept the proposal of the United States to implement an immediate 30-day ceasefire, which could be extended by mutual consent of the parties, which could be accepted and agreed to be implemented by the Russian Federation.”
It said: “The United States will communicate to Russia that Russian reciprocity is the key to achieving peace.”
Zelensky said Ukraine’s proposal for a ceasefire included “silence” in the sky and sea, the release of Ukrainian prisoners “to build confidence throughout the situation”, and children returning from Russia by Ukraine.
The two sides also agreed to conclude a rare mineral agreement “as soon as possible” to expand Ukraine’s economy and ensure the long-term security of the country.
The Ukrainian delegation, which excludes Zelensky, met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz. Rubio and Waltz both negotiated directly with Russia last month.
Trump praised the news and told the White House reporter: “Hope President Putin will agree with this, and we can get this show on the road.”
“I think it’s big, I think it’s a huge difference between the last visit you’ve seen in the Oval Office, it’s a total ceasefire,” Trump said in an explosive Oval Office confrontation last month.
“Ukraine has agreed and hope Russia will agree – we will meet them today and later tomorrow, hoping we can (work) to reach an agreement,” the president said. “But I think the ceasefire is very important, and it would be great if we can get Russia to do that. If not, we will continue and people will be killed.”
He told him that if he invited Zelensky back to the White House, he told reporters: “Of course, absolutely.”
Trump added that he hopes to talk to Putin later this week, and he hopes a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine “becomes effective in the next few days.”
“I’m going to talk to Vladimir Putin, I want to get – look, the other is tango, as they say, right?” Trump said. “So hope he will agree.”
