Ukraine has agreed to a U.S. proposal for a 30-day ceasefire with Russia, representing a potentially significant breakthrough in U.S.-led diplomatic efforts to end Europe's worst conflict since World War II. The agreement on a potential ceasefire was reached after eight hours of talks between senior U.S. and Ukrainian delegations in Saudi Arabia.
In a joint statement issued following the talks in Jeddah, Ukraine expressed its readiness to accept the U.S. proposal for an immediate, temporary ceasefire for thirty days, provided that it is accepted and simultaneously implemented by the Russian Federation. The United States will now tell the Kremlin that Russia’s willingness to accept the ceasefire proposal is key to achieving peace. “We will convey this proposal to the Russians. We hope that the Russians will reciprocate,” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.
More positive news for Ukraine came from Saudi Arabia, where the U.S. delegation announced an immediate end to the freeze on military aid and intelligence sharing. The decision to resume U.S. support reflects a warming in bilateral relations after weeks of heightened tensions, including a disastrous Oval Office meeting in late February in which U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance publicly clashed with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Trump responded to his White House confrontation with Zelensky by saying the Ukrainian leader was “not ready for peace.” The change in tone among U.S. officials after today’s meeting was palpable. “The Ukrainian delegation made it clear today that they share President Trump’s vision for peace, they share his determination to end the fighting, to end the killing, to end the tragic massacre of people,” White House National Security Adviser Michael Walz said.
With Ukraine now clearly backing the U.S. peace initiative, the world will be watching Russia’s response closely. Trump has said he may speak directly to Russian President Vladimir Putin later this week. If Putin decides not to support the movement for a temporary ceasefire, it would fundamentally change the optics of the war and make Russia the main obstacle to peace.
Events over the next few days will reveal much about Trump’s personal relationship with Putin. The US leader has long claimed to be on good terms with the Russian dictator and has touted progress in initial talks with the Kremlin on a potential peace deal to end the war in Ukraine. If his efforts are rebuffed now, Trump will face growing pressure to take a much tougher stance toward Moscow.
This puts Putin in a difficult position. Despite heavy losses on the battlefield, his armies continue to make slow but steady advances across Ukraine. Meanwhile, recent dramatic shifts in U.S. foreign policy have reinforced his belief that the international coalition backing the Ukrainian war effort is finally unraveling. Putin will therefore be expected to be reluctant to accept U.S. calls for an immediate ceasefire. At the same time, he knows that rejecting Trump’s peace overtures would likely derail the broader reset in U.S.-Russian relations that the new U.S. administration has been signaling since January.
The United States has been pushing for a ceasefire as a first step toward comprehensive peace talks between Ukraine and Russia. While a peace agreement is still far off, this first step on the Ukrainian side could create much-needed momentum. If Russia chooses not to reciprocate, there will be growing calls for the United States and Europe to strengthen Ukraine’s military posture while increasing sanctions pressure on Russia.
Peter Dickinson is editor of the Atlantic Council's UkraineAlert service.
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