The United States has announced the immediate resumption of intelligence sharing and security assistance to Ukraine, following a significant meeting between Ukrainian and U.S. delegations in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. This decision marks a pivotal moment in the ongoing efforts to stabilize the situation in Ukraine amidst the challenges posed by Russia.
Details of the cease-fire agreement
As part of this renewed cooperation, Ukraine has agreed to a U.S. proposal for a temporary 30-day cease-fire, which can be extended upon mutual consent, contingent on acceptance and simultaneous implementation by Russia. The U.S. emphasized that the key to achieving lasting peace lies in reciprocal actions from Russia.
These high-stakes discussions in Saudi Arabia were the first interaction between top U.S. officials and Ukrainian leaders since a notable conflict involving President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President Donald Trump, along with Vice President JD Vance, during a press event on February 28. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, along with national security adviser Mike Waltz and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, represented the U.S., while Ukraine was represented by Zelenskyy’s Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak, Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha, and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.
Fragile relations and ongoing negotiations
Relations between Kyiv and Washington have experienced strains since the public disagreement, which led to a halt in military aid and intelligence sharing from the U.S. to Ukraine. Since then, Ukraine has been actively seeking to mend these ties to restore vital support from its principal ally.
In the lead-up to the talks, Rubio hinted at a potential resumption of aid, stating that “good news” might be forthcoming, but underscoring that any deal would require Ukraine to cede some territory occupied by Russia since 2014. He remarked, “They’ve [Ukrainians] suffered greatly and their people have suffered greatly, and it’s hard in the aftermath of something like that to even talk about concessions. But that’s the only way this is going to end to prevent more suffering.”
“They’ve [Ukrainians] suffered greatly and their people have suffered greatly, and it’s hard in the aftermath of something like that to even talk about concessions,” Rubio told reporters.
However, Ukraine has consistently ruled out any ceasefire agreement that requires giving up territory, including Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014. Instead, the Ukrainian government advocates for a “just peace,” demanding reparations from Russia for the extensive damage caused during the ongoing conflict.
Coinciding with these diplomatic efforts, Ukraine executed its largest drone strike on Moscow since the onset of the war, signaling its resolve just hours before the Jeddah meeting. Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Ukrainian government’s center for countering disinformation, stated in a video message, “All the drone strikes in Russia tonight — on Moscow, on airports and so on — are the signal to Putin that he also must be interested in a truce in the sky that Ukraine is going to offer today during talks. Not only oil refineries.”
In a related development, NATO leaders from 30 countries are convening in Paris on Tuesday, without U.S. participation, to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine and bolster support for Kyiv. U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron are spearheading efforts to establish a “coalition of the willing” to provide peacekeeping troops in the event of a peace agreement.
This story is being updated as further developments arise.