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Donald Trump has said he will speak to Vladimir Putin and has invited Volodymr Zelensky back to the Oval Office after Ukraine agreed to accept a US proposal for an immediate 30-day ceasefire .
Mr Zelensky has called on Russia to accept the deal, adding the ceasefire “will take effect immediately” if Mr Putin agrees.
The Trump administration also said it would immediately lift its intelligence sharing with Ukraine following “positive” talks in Saudi Arabia.
Asked whether Zelensky was invited back to the White House, Trump said: “Sure, absolutely”.
On the ceasefire deal, he added: “We just agreed to it a little while ago. Hopefully, president Putin can agree to it also and we can get this show on the road.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he would now take the offer to the Russians, and that the ball is now in Moscow’s court.
Zelensky said his team proposed three key points: Silence in the skies—stopping missile strikes, bombs, and long-range drone attacks and silence at sea.
The release of prisoners of war and detainees—both military and civilian and the return of Ukrainian children who were forcibly transferred to Russia.
Ukraine agrees US proposal for immediate 30-day ceasefire
Ukraine has agreed to accept a US proposal for an immediate 30-day ceasefire and to take steps toward restoring a durable peace after Russia’s invasion, according to a joint US-Ukraine statement.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he would now take the offer to the Russians, and that the ball is now in Moscow’s court.
The two sides, meeting in Saudi Arabia, also agreed to conclude as soon as possible a comprehensive agreement for developing Ukraine’s critical mineral resources, the statement said.
The Trump administration said on Tuesday that it would immediately lift its suspension of military aid to Ukraine and its intelligence sharing with Kyiv, a week after imposing the measures to push Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to enter talks to end the war with invading Russian forces.
Russian lawmaker says any Ukraine deal will be on Moscow’s terms, not Washington’s
A Russian lawmaker has demanded that any ceasefire proposal or deal will be on Moscow’s terms and not Washington’s after the US said the ball is now in Russia’s court.
“Russia is advancing (in Ukraine), and therefore it will be different with Russia,” said Konstantin Kosachev, chairman of the international affairs committee of the Federation Council, the upper house of Russia’s parliament, in a post on Telegram.
“Any agreements – with all the understanding of the need for compromise – on our terms, not on American. And this is not boasting, but understanding that real agreements are still being written there, at the front. Which they should understand in Washington, too.”
Arpan Rai12 March 2025 03:10
Ukrainian foreign minister informs European partners about ‘milestone’ talks with US
Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said he has informed a number of European counterparts about the “milestone” talks with the US where Kyiv said it was ready to support Washington’s proposal for a 30-day ceasefire.
Mr Sybiha, who took part in the Jeddah talks, said that afterwards he talked to several European foreign ministers, including British foreign secretary David Lammy and European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, “about the outcomes of the milestone meeting.”
Mr Sybiha said that the Ukrainian team told the US officials that European partners must participate in any peace negotiations.
“We adhere to the position: no decisions on the long-term security of Europe without Europe,” he said in a social media post.
After more than eight hours of meetings between Ukrainian and US officials in Saudi Arabia yesterday, the US agreed to resume military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine.
Arpan Rai12 March 2025 02:56
‘Ball is clearly in Russia’s court’
Emmanuel Macron posted on X: “I welcome the progress made during the discussions between the United States of America and Ukraine held today in Jeddah, particularly regarding the idea of a possible 30-day ceasefire.
“The ball is now clearly in Russia’s court. France and its partners remain committed to a solid and lasting peace, supported by robust security guarantees for Ukraine.”
Barney Davis12 March 2025 02:02
‘Ukraine shares Trump’s vision for peace’ – US national security adviser
US national security adviser Mike Waltz said: “The Ukrainian delegation today made something very clear, that they share President Trump’s vision for peace.”
Mr Waltz said negotiators “got into substantive details on how this war is going to permanently end”, including long-term security guarantees.
And, he said, Mr Trump agreed to immediately lift the pause in the supply of billions of dollars of US military aid and intelligence sharing.
Meanwhile, in an address posted shortly after Tuesday’s eight hours of talks ended, Mr Zelensky reiterated Ukraine’s commitment to achieving a lasting peace, emphasising that the country has sought an end to the war since its outset.
“Our position is absolutely clear: Ukraine has strived for peace from the very first second of this war, and we want to do everything possible to achieve it as soon as possible – securely and in a way that ensures war does not return,” Mr Zelensky said.
Barney Davis12 March 2025 01:29
Minerals deal expected to go through – Rubio
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US-Ukraine minerals deal was not the subject of negotiations in Jeddah on Tuesday, but he anticipated it being signed soon.
“That is something that was negotiated through our Treasury (Secretary) and his counterpart on the Ukrainian side,” Rubio told reporters after the meeting.
He said that both presidents would “instruct the appropriate members of our governments to bring to finality the signature of the deal.”
“That was communicated today. And that’s going to happen,” Rubio said.
Barney Davis12 March 2025 01:04
Yermak says both US and Ukraine want ‘just peace’
The Ukrainian and U.S. delegations discussed all issues related to the process of ending the war, according to the head of Ukraine’s Presidential Office Andriy Yermak.
“It was a very good, substantive, and meaningful conversation. We truly spoke as partners who have been together since the first day of Russia’s full-scale aggression. The main achievements of today’s meeting are, first of all, the immediate resumption of US assistance and intelligence sharing.
“We also discussed all the issues related to the process of ending the war with a just peace,” Yermak said.
He added that there was a frank exchange of views and key positions.
“What you see in the joint statement truly reflects our shared understanding: we are united in our vision of how to move toward the long-awaited just peace for Ukraine. And this is happening with the support of our main strategic partner — the United States.”
Barney Davis11 March 2025 23:58
Russia launches air attack on Ukraine capital Kyiv, mayor says
Russia launched an overnight air attack on Kyiv, with air defence forces engaged in repelling the strikes, Vitali Klitschko, mayor of the Ukrainian capital said on Wednesday.
Barney Davis11 March 2025 23:15
Von der Leyen: EU ready to join future peace talks
Ursula Von der Leyen has joined world leaders in saying the ball is now in Russia’s court after the agreement.
The President of the EU commission posted on X: “We welcome today’s news from Jeddah on the US-Ukraine talks, including the proposal for a ceasefire agreement and the resumption of US intelligence sharing and security assistance.
“This is a positive development that can be a step towards a comprehensive, just and lasting peace for Ukraine. The ball is now in Russia’s court. The EU is ready to play its full part, together with its partners, in the upcoming peace negotiations.”
Barney Davis11 March 2025 21:51