US lifts military freeze on Ukraine in push for 30-day ceasefire
The U.S. will immediately restore military aid and intelligence sharing to Ukraine following bilateral talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, with Ukraine expressing "readiness" to accept a 30-day ceasefire proposal.
"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," said a joint statement after the talks.
"The United States will communicate to Russia that Russian reciprocity is the key to achieving peace," it added.
"The United States will immediately lift the pause on intelligence sharing and resume security assistance to Ukraine."
The talks came less than two weeks after a contentious Oval Office meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky late last month.
The outcome Tuesday marks a major reprieve for Ukraine after Trump and Vice President Vance accused Zelensky of being ungrateful for U.S. support, and holding "no cards" in negotiations to end the war.
Trump had remained vague on what exactly Ukraine needed to do to restore US military and intelligence support, which Trump halted in the wake of Zelensky's explosive White House visit.
“I want them to want peace... They haven't shown it to extent they should," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday.
The bilateral talks in Jeddah signaled a rapprochement. Among the restored military aid included $4 billion in the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), a fund that allows the U.S. to send Ukraine military materials directly from Department of Defense stocks.
In the joint U.S.-Ukraine statement, the Ukrainians “reiterated the Ukrainian people’s strong gratitude to President Trump, the U.S. Congress, and the people of the United States for making possible meaningful progress toward peace.”
The statement also noted that the U.S. and Ukraine agreed to name their negotiating teams and immediately begin talks toward an “enduring peace that provides for Ukraine’s long-term security.”
The U.S. “committed to discussing these specific proposals” with Russia, and the Ukrainian delegation “reiterated that European partners shall be involved in the peace process.”
The joint statement also referenced a minerals deal between Ukraine and the U.S., though negotiators said it was not a focus of Tuesday's meeting.
“Both countries’ presidents agreed to conclude as soon as possible a comprehensive agreement for developing Ukraine’s critical mineral resources to expand Ukraine’s economy and guarantee Ukraine’s long-term prosperity and security,” the statement read.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz led the U.S. delegation.
The Ukrainian delegation included Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to Zelensky, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.
Yermak and Sybiha wore suits, in contrast to Zelensky, who was criticized by Trump allies over his attire in the Oval Office, wearing war-time shirt and pants.
Waltz said after the meeting that the Ukrainians are “ready for peace.”
Rubio said the U.S. would communicate the ceasefire deal to the Russians and warned that if they refuse, they’ll be viewed as the impediment to peace.
“Ukraine is ready to stop shooting and start talking, and now it'll be up to them [Russia] to say yes or no,” Rubio said.
“I hope they're going to say yes, and if they do, then I think we've made great progress. If they say no, then we'll, unfortunately, know what the impediment is.”
Noticeably absent from the meeting was Steve Witkoff, President Trump’s point man on talks with Moscow and one of his closest confidantes.
Witkoff, also the president’s special envoy for the Middle East, reportedly traveled to Qatar for ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas at the time of the Jeddah meeting.
He is expected to travel to Moscow later this week, a source familiar told NewsNation, but cautioned the envoy’s schedule is fluid.
Updated: 2:46 p.m.
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