Washington has agreed to resume military assistance, including intelligence sharing, with Ukraine following talks. The U.S. will now take this offer to Moscow.
Kyiv has agreed to enter into a 30-day cease-fire with Moscow as a means of kickstarting further talks to end the ongoing Russia–Ukraine war.
Delegations from Washington and Kyiv shared a joint statement on March 11 announcing the proposed 30-day pause in the fighting, after concluding a lengthy round of discussions in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House national security adviser Mike Waltz represented the United States at the Jeddah talks, while Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Ukrainian presidential aide Andriy Yermak, and Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov represented Kyiv.
While the Jeddah plan calls for an initial 30-day halt to the fighting, Russia and Ukraine could agree to extend this temporary cease-fire as they work toward a more lasting peace agreement.
“We‘ll take this offer now to the Russians and we hope that they’ll say yes,” Rubio said in a press statement following the meeting.
Tuesday’s meeting offered an opportunity for the representatives from Washington and Kyiv to resume in-person talks after a Feb. 28 Oval Office meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy devolved into an argument over Ukraine’s willingness to negotiate and make compromises with Russia.
In the days after the Oval Office clash, Trump ordered a pause on all U.S. aid flowing to Ukraine, including intelligence sharing.
Following the Jeddah talks, the U.S. and Ukrainian delegations announced the United States would lift its hold on intelligence sharing with Ukraine and resume security assistance.
“The most important thing that we have to leave here with is a strong sense that Ukraine is prepared to do difficult things,” Rubio told reporters on March 10, while en route to the meeting.
Rubio said Russia would also have to prepare for difficult decisions to facilitate an eventual peace arrangement.
Asked what specific difficult decisions the Trump administration expects Ukraine to prepare for, Rubio said both sides need to conclude that the current conflict cannot be resolved by military means.
By Ryan Morgan
