US to Resume Security Aid as Ukraine Considers Ceasefire
12 آذار 2025 10:44
The United States agreed to resume military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine after Kyiv said it was ready to support Washington's proposal for a 30-day ceasefire with Russia, the countries said in a joint statement.
After more than eight hours of talks with Ukrainian officials in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. would now take the offer to Russia, and the ball is in Moscow's court.
"Our hope is that the Russians will answer 'yes' as quickly as possible, so we can get to the second phase of this, which is real negotiations," Rubio told reporters, referring to U.S. President Donald Trump.
The Kremlin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine three years ago, and Russia, which has been making advances, now holds around a fifth of Ukraine's territory, including Crimea, which it annexed in 2014.
Rubio said Washington wanted a full agreement with both Russia and Ukraine "as soon as possible."
"Every day that goes by, this war continues, people die, people are bombed, people are hurt on both sides of this conflict," he said.
How Moscow would respond was far from certain.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he is open to discussing a peace deal, but he and his diplomats have repeatedly stated they are against a ceasefire and would seek a deal that safeguards Russia's long-term security.
Putin told his Security Council on January 20 that there "should not be a short truce, not some kind of respite for regrouping forces and rearmament with the aim of subsequently continuing the conflict, but a long-term peace."
He has also ruled out territorial concessions and said Ukraine must withdraw fully from four Ukrainian regions claimed and partly controlled by Russia.
"Any agreements - with all the understanding of the need for compromise - on our terms, not on American," an influential Russian lawmaker said on Wednesday.
The Russian foreign ministry said after the U.S-Ukraine talks on Tuesday only that it did not rule out contacts with U.S. representatives.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who was in Saudi Arabia but did not participate in the talks, said the ceasefire was a "positive proposal," that covers the frontline in the conflict, not just fighting by air and sea.
WILL RUSSIA AGREE?
The Ukrainian leader said the ceasefire would take effect as soon as Russia agreed.
"When the agreements come into force, during these 30 days of 'silence,' we will have time to prepare with our partners at the level of working documents all the aspects for reliable peace and long-term security," Zelenskiy said.
Rubio said the plan would be delivered to the Russians through multiple channels. Trump's national security adviser, Mike Waltz, was due to meet his Russian counterpart in the coming days and Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff plans to visit Moscow this week to meet Putin.
On Tuesday, Trump said he hoped for a swift ceasefire and thought he would talk to Putin this week. "I hope it'll be over the next few days," he told reporters at a White House event to promote his close adviser Elon Musk's Tesla car company.
The U.S.-Ukraine agreement was a sharp turnaround from an acrimonious White House meeting on February 28 between the new Republican U.S. president, who has long been a Ukraine aid skeptic, and Zelenskiy.
In Tuesday's joint statement, the two countries said they agreed to conclude as soon as possible a comprehensive agreement for developing Ukraine’s critical mineral resources, which had been in the works and was thrown into limbo by that meeting.
Following that encounter, the United States cut off intelligence sharing and weapons shipments to Ukraine, underlining Trump's willingness to pressure a U.S. ally as he pivots to a more conciliatory approach to Moscow.
Trump said on Tuesday he would invite Zelenskiy back to the White House.
Ukrainian officials said late on Tuesday that both U.S. military assistance and intelligence sharing had resumed.
After more than eight hours of talks with Ukrainian officials in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. would now take the offer to Russia, and the ball is in Moscow's court.
"Our hope is that the Russians will answer 'yes' as quickly as possible, so we can get to the second phase of this, which is real negotiations," Rubio told reporters, referring to U.S. President Donald Trump.
The Kremlin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine three years ago, and Russia, which has been making advances, now holds around a fifth of Ukraine's territory, including Crimea, which it annexed in 2014.
Rubio said Washington wanted a full agreement with both Russia and Ukraine "as soon as possible."
"Every day that goes by, this war continues, people die, people are bombed, people are hurt on both sides of this conflict," he said.
How Moscow would respond was far from certain.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he is open to discussing a peace deal, but he and his diplomats have repeatedly stated they are against a ceasefire and would seek a deal that safeguards Russia's long-term security.
Putin told his Security Council on January 20 that there "should not be a short truce, not some kind of respite for regrouping forces and rearmament with the aim of subsequently continuing the conflict, but a long-term peace."
He has also ruled out territorial concessions and said Ukraine must withdraw fully from four Ukrainian regions claimed and partly controlled by Russia.
"Any agreements - with all the understanding of the need for compromise - on our terms, not on American," an influential Russian lawmaker said on Wednesday.
The Russian foreign ministry said after the U.S-Ukraine talks on Tuesday only that it did not rule out contacts with U.S. representatives.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who was in Saudi Arabia but did not participate in the talks, said the ceasefire was a "positive proposal," that covers the frontline in the conflict, not just fighting by air and sea.
WILL RUSSIA AGREE?
The Ukrainian leader said the ceasefire would take effect as soon as Russia agreed.
"When the agreements come into force, during these 30 days of 'silence,' we will have time to prepare with our partners at the level of working documents all the aspects for reliable peace and long-term security," Zelenskiy said.
Rubio said the plan would be delivered to the Russians through multiple channels. Trump's national security adviser, Mike Waltz, was due to meet his Russian counterpart in the coming days and Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff plans to visit Moscow this week to meet Putin.
On Tuesday, Trump said he hoped for a swift ceasefire and thought he would talk to Putin this week. "I hope it'll be over the next few days," he told reporters at a White House event to promote his close adviser Elon Musk's Tesla car company.
The U.S.-Ukraine agreement was a sharp turnaround from an acrimonious White House meeting on February 28 between the new Republican U.S. president, who has long been a Ukraine aid skeptic, and Zelenskiy.
In Tuesday's joint statement, the two countries said they agreed to conclude as soon as possible a comprehensive agreement for developing Ukraine’s critical mineral resources, which had been in the works and was thrown into limbo by that meeting.
Following that encounter, the United States cut off intelligence sharing and weapons shipments to Ukraine, underlining Trump's willingness to pressure a U.S. ally as he pivots to a more conciliatory approach to Moscow.
Trump said on Tuesday he would invite Zelenskiy back to the White House.
Ukrainian officials said late on Tuesday that both U.S. military assistance and intelligence sharing had resumed.