Delegates of the US and Ukraine at a meeting hosted by Saudi Arabia in Jeddah today. Photo credit Ukraine President's office.
In a significant development aimed at addressing the ongoing conflict, Ukraine has expressed its readiness to accept the United States’ proposal for a temporary ceasefire of 30 days. This ceasefire, which may be extended with the mutual agreement of the parties involved, is dependent on the Russian Federation’s acceptance and simultaneous implementation of the terms.
“Ukraine is ready for peace. Russia must also show whether it is ready to end the war – or continue it. The time has come for the whole truth,” Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated in today amidst claims by Russia of an attack by Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles on Russian regions during the night of March 11, 2025. That notwithstanding, the United States said it will convey to Russia that Moscow’s willingness to reciprocate is essential for achieving lasting peace. This was stated in a joint declaration after the discussions between the US and Ukrainian representatives, hosted by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in Jeddah today. In light of this decision, the United States will promptly resume intelligence sharing and security assistance to Ukraine.
“We’ll take this offer now to the Russians, and we hope that they’ll say yes, that they’ll say yes to peace. The ball is now in their court and – but again, the [US] President’s objective here is, number one, above everything else, he wants the war to end. And I think today Ukraine has taken a concrete step in that regard. We hope the Russians will reciprocate,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told a press conference in Jeddah. He elaborated, ” It’ll be delivered to them [Russia] directly through multiple channels,…it’ll be communicated to them through our diplomatic channels, through conversations, and other methods. But they’ll obviously be well aware. And our hope is that the Russians will say yes, that they will also agree, so the shooting will stop, the killing will stop, the dying will stop, and the talks can begin about how to end this war permanently in a way that’s acceptable and enduring for both sides.”
The US National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz, added, “I will talk to my Russian counterpart in the coming days. Secretary Rubio will be with G7 foreign ministers in the next couple of days. We have the NATO secretary general in the White House on Thursday. And we’ll take – we’ll take the process forward from there”.
Both the US and Ukrainian delegations emphasized the necessity of humanitarian relief efforts as an integral part of the peace process during the proposed ceasefire, which includes the exchange of prisoners of war, the release of civilian detainees, and the return of Ukrainian children who have been forcibly transferred.
Both delegations reached a consensus to appoint their respective negotiating teams and promptly initiate discussions aimed at establishing a lasting peace that ensures the long-term security of Ukraine. The United States expressed its commitment to engaging in dialogue regarding these specific proposals with Russian representatives.
“Today was a good day for peace. Thanks to @POTUS‘s leadership and under the gracious hospitality of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, we are one step closer to restoring durable peace for Ukraine. The ball is now in Russia’s court,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted on X.
Interestingly, right till the release of this joint declaration, the relationship between Donald Trump, Ukraine, and Volodymyr Zelenskyy is one of the most controversial and important aspects of Trump’s presidency, ultimately resulting in his first impeachment in 2019. In contrast, his association with Russian President Vladimir Putin has always been a focal point of considerable examination, discussion, and contention within both the US and international political spheres.
Trump has consistently lauded Putin, positioning himself as a negotiator capable of engaging with adversaries. His respect for Putin extends beyond mere diplomatic relations; he frequently commends Putin’s authoritarian governance, and by fostering a relationship with Putin, Trump bolsters his “America First” narrative, asserting that diplomacy—even with those viewed as opponents—is advantageous.
Furthermore, Trump has often undermined claims of Russian interference in American elections, even siding with Putin over US intelligence agencies during the 2018 Helsinki summit, which aligns with his broader strategy of discrediting institutions that contradict his viewpoints. Moreover, several investigations, particularly the Mueller Report, have raised questions about his business dealings with Russian entities. Notable events, such as the 2013 Miss Universe pageant in Moscow and efforts to develop a Trump Tower in Russia, suggest a longstanding interest in business opportunities in the area. He has repeatedly denied any financial ties to Russia, but, despite sanctions enacted against Russia during his presidency, Trump’s policies frequently appeared to align favourably with Putin’s interests. For instance, there were notable delays in military assistance to Ukraine, which led to Trump’s impeachment in 2019 as mentioned above. In August 2019, an unnamed intelligence official submitted a letter raising alarms regarding President Trump’s phone call on July 25, 2019, with the President of Ukraine. The official articulated an “urgent concern” that President Trump had potentially misused his position to “solicit interference from a foreign nation” in the upcoming 2020 election. Subsequent disclosures of a rough transcript indicated that President Trump had pressed President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to look into former Vice President [later President] Joe Biden, who was the leading candidate opposing Trump in the 2020 election, along with inquiries into Biden’s son. This conversation occurred shortly after President Trump had halted the disbursement of military assistance to Ukraine. A senior official later testified that the President had made it clear that the release of this aid was contingent upon an investigation into Biden. The White House, however, refuted these claims then.
Additionally, Trump’s approach to Crimea diverged from that of prior US administrations, as he exhibited a hesitance to firmly challenge Russia’s annexation of the region. Furthermore, his criticisms of global institutions such as the European Union and the United Nations inadvertently served to weaken these entities, ultimately benefiting Russia’s agenda to disrupt Western-dominated global governance.
The Ukrainian delegation today emphasized the necessity of involving European partners in the peace negotiations. This assumes significance given Trump’s skepticism about traditional US alliances like NATO and the European Union, alongwith his focus on transactional relationships, may have shaped his view of Putin as a potential partner in reshaping global power dynamics.
Furthermore, the Presidents of both nations concurred on the urgency of finalizing a comprehensive agreement focused on the development of Ukraine’s critical mineral resources, which the joint statement said, is essential for enhancing Ukraine’s economy and securing its long-term prosperity and stability.
What is interesting is that after the Ukrainian delegation reported on the meeting with the American team to him, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was publicly snubbed by Trump at the latter’s Oval Office recently, forcing him to cut short his stay there, described today’s meeting as a “good discussion – constructive, our teams managed to cover many details”.
Zelenskyy elaborated, “Our position is absolutely clear: Ukraine has been seeking peace from the very first second of the war, and we want to do everything to ensure that peace is achieved as soon as possible and in a reliable way – so that there is no more war. Our, Ukraine’s proposal for this meeting with the Americans consisted of three points: silence in the skies – meaning no missiles, bombs, or long-range drones – and silence at sea; and real measures to establish confidence in this whole situation, in which diplomacy is ongoing, which means, primarily, the release of prisoners – our military personnel and civilians – and the return of Ukrainian children who were taken to Russia”.
Waltz said, “I just want to make very clear is President Trump started this diplomatic effort in the Oval Office talking to both leaders, both President Putin and President Zelenskyy, back to back. And now that shuttle diplomacy continues”.
The discussion lasted most of the day today. Zelenskyy said the American side “understands our arguments and considers our proposals”, and thanked President Trump “for the constructive nature of the dialogue between our teams”.
So does this suggest that the Zelenskyy relationship is back on track? Rubio replied, “Yeah, what’s back on track here hopefully is peace. That’s what matters the most… this is not Mean Girls. This is not some episode of some television show. This is very serious. People are going to – today, people will die in this war. They died yesterday. And sadly, unless there’s a ceasefire tonight, they’ll die tomorrow. The President wants that to stop. That’s what he’s interested in here. That’s why we came here. That’s why we’re grateful for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia hosting us here. And what we left – leave here with today is a commitment that the Ukrainians are ready to stop fighting. They’re ready to stop the shooting so that they can get to the table and bring about peace for their country and for the world.”
Also read:
- Donald Trump: Peacemaker or Disruptor?
- Need firm agreements to finalise settlement with Ukraine: Russia
In their joint statement, representatives from both countries commended the courage displayed by the Ukrainian people in their defense of the nation and acknowledged that the time has come to embark on a journey toward enduring peace. The Ukrainian delegation also conveyed the deep appreciation of the Ukrainian populace to U.S. President Donald Trump, the US Congress, and the American people for their significant contributions to advancing the peace process.
It may be mentioned that the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had arrived in Jeddah on March 10, 2025, for the discussions with Ukrainian counterparts to advance President Trump’s goal to end the Russia-Ukraine war. He also met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud to discuss ways to advance shared interests in the region and strengthen the US-Saudi relationship.
