Ukraine said yes to a U.S. plan for a 30-day ceasefire with Russia. At the same time, President Donald Trump decided to unfreeze military aid and restart intelligence sharing with Ukraine.
Ukraine accepted the U.S. proposal for a ceasefire
The deal, pushed hard by the U.S., now leaves the next move up to Moscow, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said after a full day of talks with Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia.
“Today, we’ve made an offer that the Ukrainians have accepted, which is to enter into a ceasefire and into immediate negotiations to end this conflict in a way that’s enduring and sustainable,” Rubio said.
The U.S. will present the ceasefire deal to Moscow
Now, the Trump administration is getting ready to take the ceasefire proposal to Moscow, but Russia has already laid out a list of demands.
They want President Volodymyr Zelenskyy out
They also want the captured regions to be recognized as independent and a guarantee that Ukraine won’t join NATO.
“We’re going to tell them this is what’s on the table. Ukraine is ready to stop shooting and start talking. And now it’ll be up to them to say yes or no,” Rubio said.
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Trump finally agrees to lift the pause on military aid and intelligence sharing
After big meetings in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the president is also unfreezing military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine.
That means the U.S. can keep sending around $4 billion in approved funds to help arm Ukraine.
And Trump had something to say about the ceasefire
“Very importantly, and I said it: Ukraine. Ceasefire. Just agreed to a little while ago,” Trump said while checking out five Tesla cars at the White House with Elon Musk.
“Ukraine has agreed to it, and hopefully Russia will agree to it,” he added.
He called it a “horrible war”
“People are being killed as things explode all over the cities, and we have to get that war over with,” he said.
But the tensions between Trump and Zelenskyy don’t go away
This move now puts the pressure on the Kremlin, coming just days after a tense Oval Office meeting showed a clear rift between Trump and Zelenskyy.
Trump even hinted that Zelenskyy could come back to the White House.
Finally, U.S. officials announced the ceasefire deal
Rubio, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff made the announcement Tuesday after talks with Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia.
Russia previously rejected temporary ceasefires
Moscow had already shot down the idea of a temporary ceasefire for air and sea attacks when Zelenskyy first suggested it.
The deal is expected to help Ukraine’s economy
The statement called the deal a big step, saying it would “expand Ukraine’s economy, offset the cost of American assistance, and guarantee Ukraine’s long-term prosperity and security.”
Both sides continue strikes
Meanwhile, Russia has kept up its attacks, hitting civilian areas with 126 drones and a ballistic missile, according to Ukraine’s Air Force.
Ukraine responded with its biggest strike of the war, launching attacks on Russia, including Moscow, just before the talks.
The announcement came after U.S. negotiators met with a Ukrainian delegation in Saudi Arabia
The talks on ending the war had been dragging on since Russia invaded in 2022.
Representing Saudi Arabia at the meeting were Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and national security advisor Mosaad bin Mohammad Al-Aiban.
