Ukraine has agreed to an immediate 30-day ceasefire which was negotiated by the United States, only if Russia also accepts the plan.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he now hoped Russian president Vladimir Putin would reciprocate.
If Putin agrees, it would mark the first ceasefire in the more than three years since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Forming part of the negotiations, the U.S. has agreed to resuming security assistance and immediately lifted a pause on sharing intelligence with Ukraine.
“Ukraine is ready to start talking and stop shooting,” said Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Jidda, Saudi Arabia.
“Today, we 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 and accounts for their interests, their security, their ability to prosper as a nation,” Rubio said.
More than seven hours of negotiations took place in Saudi Arabia between high-level American and Ukrainian delegations.
“Ukraine welcomes this proposal. We see it as a positive step, and we are ready to take it,”said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“The United States must now persuade Russia to do the same. If Russia agrees, silence will take effect immediately,” said Zelenskyy.
In a joint statement, the U.S. and Ukrainian delegations said the interim, monthlong ceasefire “can be extended by mutual agreement of the parties.”
“The United States will communicate to Russia that Russian reciprocity is the key to achieving peace,” the statement said.
“The ball is now in their court,” said Rubio on negotiations with Russia.
The joint statement also said Trump and Zelenkskyy had agreed to conclude “as soon as possible a comprehensive agreement for developing Ukraine’s critical mineral resources.”
The negotiations come almost two weeks after an argument in the Oval Office between Trump and the Ukrainian leader that resulted in the U.S. suspending aid to Ukraine over the objections of its European allies.
This comes as Russia announced Ukraine had launched its biggest drone attack on Moscow since the outset of war between the two nations, which killed multiple people, sparked fires, and closed airports.
The Russian defence ministry declared 337 Ukrainian drones were downed in a single day, including 91 over Moscow and 126 in the Kursk region.
This occurred as the team of Ukrainian officials prepared to meet with the US.
Russian forces were also trying to encircle thousands of Ukrainian soldiers in the western Russian region of Kursk when the drone attack occurred.
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