Kyiv is ready to accept Washington's proposal to immediately implement a temporary, 30-day ceasefire, which can be extended by mutual agreement, the Presidential Office announced on March 11 after the talks with the U.S. in Saudi Arabia.
Ukraine is ready to take such a step only if Russia adheres to the terms of the ceasefire in the same way.
The announcement comes as one of the main conclusions of the U.S.-Ukraine talks in Jeddah, in which the two sides sought a common path toward a peace deal after weeks of tense relations.
The ties between Kyiv and Washington grew sour after a heated exchange between President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump in the White House on Feb. 28, which led to the U.S. halting military and intelligence support.
"Ukrainian proposal for this meeting with the Americans was three things: ceasefire in the sky — missiles, bombs, long-range drones — and ceasefire at sea, as well as measures to establish trust to this process, first of all – the release of prisoners," Zelensky said following the meeting.
"The American side understands our arguments, accepts our proposals, I want to thank President (Donald) Trump for the constructiveness of our teams' conversation," he added.
The president added that as part of the deal, the U.S. agreed to resume intelligence sharing and defense assistance for Ukraine.
"And today, there was a proposal from the American side to take the first step right away and attempt to establish a complete ceasefire for 30 days, not only regarding missiles, drones, and bombs, not only in the Black Sea but also along the entire front line," Zelensky said.
"Ukraine accepts this proposal." Zelensky added that the U.S. "must convince Russia" to abide by it.
During the talks, the Ukrainian delegation proposed to implement a partial truce in the sky and at sea, while the U.S. side wanted "to try to do more," a source close to the Presidential Office told the Kyiv Independent.
Russia's stance toward a partial ceasefire is unclear, the source added. Moscow has repeatedly rejected freezing hostilities along the current front line, believing it has the upper hand on the battlefield.
"Within a certain period of time, we will prepare a final agreement on how to end the war. Now, the discussions concern only the first steps," the source said.
Ways to enforce a possible ceasefire also remain uncertain. Kyiv has previously emphasized that firm security guarantees from the U.S. and other partners should be a key part of any cessation of hostilities, arguing that Russia has repeatedly violated multiple ceasefires since the start of its aggression in 2014.
The Trump administration has been reluctant to provide security guarantees to Kyiv and instead urged Europe to take responsibility for Ukraine's post-war stability. According to U.S. officials, the proposed minerals deal agreement could function as a security guarantee itself.
The readout from the Jeddah meeting said that both Zelensky and Trump "agreed to conclude as soon as possible a comprehensive agreement for developing Ukraine’s critical mineral resources to expand Ukraine’s economy, offset the cost of American assistance, and guarantee Ukraine’s long-term prosperity and security."
The Ukrainian delegation included President's Office Head Andriy Yermak, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, and Yermak's deputy, Pavlo Palisa. The U.S. delegation was led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz.
In the coming days, Trump's envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, is also expected to travel to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Witkoff previously traveled to Moscow in February for the release of U.S. teacher Marc Fogel from a Russian prison and has emerged as a key figure in Washington's effort to negotiate a peace between Russia and Ukraine.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
