Ukraine has agreed to enter into a 30-day cease-fire with Russia, Kyiv and Washington announced Tuesday after a summit in Saudi Arabia that also saw the U.S. agree to resume providing military aid and intelligence to the war-torn nation.
“Ukraine expressed readiness to accept the U.S. proposal to enact an immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire, which can be extended by mutual agreement of the parties, and which is subject to acceptance and concurrent implementation by the Russian Federation,” the U.S. and Ukraine said in a joint statement released by the State Department. “The United States will communicate to Russia that Russian reciprocity is the key to achieving peace.”
The diplomatic breakthrough came Tuesday during talks between U.S. national security officials and their Ukrainian counterparts in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It remains to be seen if Russia has any interest in a temporary cease-fire deal or negotiations to end the war entirely.
Senior U.S. and Russian officials met in Saudi Arabia last month to reset the relationship between the two nations and begin discussing plans to end the fighting in Ukraine, the State Department said in a readout. The meeting followed a call between President Donald Trump and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin on February 12, weeks after Trump returned to power.
Ukraine launched its biggest drone strike of the war on Moscow Monday night, the Ukrainian military said in a statement. The Ukrainian drones struck Russian oil resources, including the Moscow oil refinery and other “strategic objects” key to Russia’s war. The Russian military said it shot down 337 Ukrainian drones across ten Russian regions. A total of three people were killed and 18 were injured, and multiple residential buildings were damaged.
American and Ukrainian officials held their negotiations after Trump and Vice President JD Vance’s heated confrontation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last month over U.S. military aid and peace discussions with Russia.
The U.S. halted military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine following the White House blow up. The two parties also canceled plans to sign a minerals deal that had been agreed to a few days prior. Zelensky later issued a statement expressing regret about the White House skirmish and said Ukraine would be open to peace negotiations.
During a press gaggle aboard Air Force One on Sunday, President Trump assured National Review’s Audrey Fahlberg that the intel pause was about to be lifted. Trump also predicted Ukraine would end up signing a minerals deal and reiterated his position that the killing on the battlefield has to stop.
The joint statement concludes with a reassure that both countries will finish developing a comprehensive agreement to expand Ukrainian mineral production and compensate the U.S. for its military aid.