Ukraine agrees to 30-day ceasefire during talks with U.S. in Saudi Arabia

Ukraine on Tuesday signaled its readiness to accept a U.S. proposal for an "immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire," following talks with a U.S. delegation in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, according to a joint statement.

The statement, issued after hours of consultations between senior officials from the two countries, said the truce could be extended by mutual agreement, adding that "the U.S. will communicate to Russia that Russian reciprocity is the key to achieving peace."

Washington has agreed to "immediately lift the pause on intelligence sharing and resume security assistance to Ukraine," the statement said, adding that both sides discussed the importance of humanitarian relief efforts, particularly during the ceasefire period.

Negotiators also agreed to appoint teams to begin talks aimed at reaching a lasting peace. The U.S. reaffirmed its commitment to engaging with Russian representatives, while Ukraine emphasized the need for European partners to be involved in the process, the statement said.

Additionally, both nations' leaders agreed to finalize "as soon as possible a comprehensive agreement for developing Ukraine's critical mineral resources to expand Ukraine's economy," it added.

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The announcement followed a high-level meeting attended by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz.

The Ukrainian delegation included President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov. Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and National Security Advisor Musaed bin Muhammad Al-Aiban also took part in the discussions.

At a press conference following the talks, Rubio voiced hope that Russia would accept the proposal for a temporary ceasefire with Ukraine.

He said Ukraine's commitment will "be delivered to them directly through multiple channels," "through our diplomatic channels, through conversations, and other methods."

"The ball is in their court," said Rubio, noting that if Kremlin rejects the proposal, "then we'll, unfortunately, know what the impediment is to peace here."

Zelenskyy: Talks in Saudi Arabia 'constructive'

Zelenskyy described the meeting as "good and constructive" on social media platform X.

"The discussion lasted most of the day and was good and constructive – our teams were able to discuss many important details," Zelenskyy said.

At the talks, the Ukrainian side has proposed three key points, including silence in the skies – a ban on missile and drone strikes, a silence at sea, and "confidence-building measures" aimed at releasing captives and returning Ukrainian children from Russia, Zelenskyy said.

According to him, the U.S. side understood Ukraine's arguments.

For its part, Ukraine has agreed to the U.S. proposal to establish a 30-day full interim ceasefire, which envisages stopping the missile, drone, and bomb attacks, as well as fighting along the entire frontline.

"If Russia agrees, the ceasefire will take effect immediately," Zelenskyy said.

Trump hints Zelenskyy is welcome back to White House

U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday briefly addressed the ceasefire announcement outside the White House, telling reporters that "Ukraine has agreed to it and hopefully Russia will agree to it," NBC News reported.

When asked whether Zelenskyy would be invited back to the White House, Trump responded: "Sure, absolutely."

The Trump administration had announced a suspension of weapon deliveries to Ukraine and halted intelligence sharing after a heated Oval Office meeting with Zelenskyy more than a week ago.

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Trump also said he expects to speak to Russian President Vladimir Putin later this week and hopes Russia also agrees to the terms.

When asked how close he thinks Ukraine and Russia are to a total ceasefire, Trump said, "I hope it'll be over the next few days."

Russia: Not ruling out contacts with U.S. in 'next few days'

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Tuesday told Russian state news agencies, "We do not rule out contacts with U.S. representatives within the next few days."

According to Russian media reports, Dmitry Peskov, press secretary for Putin, said Moscow expected Washington to inform about the talks with Ukraine, stressing that there should not be premature celebration.

Europe welcomes possible ceasefire in Ukraine

Despite being left out of negotiations, European leaders welcomed the progress made between the United States and Ukraine while continuing efforts to strengthen the continent's defense capabilities.

French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer both welcomed the ceasefire proposal.

On X, Macron voiced his support for the discussions, stressing that "the ball is now clearly in Russia's court." He reaffirmed France's commitment to a "solid and lasting peace, backed by robust security guarantees for Ukraine."

Similarly, Starmer described Ukraine's acceptance of the ceasefire as a positive step, adding, "As both American and Ukrainian delegations have said, the ball is now in the Russian court."

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also praised the U.S.-Ukraine talks as a potential step toward "a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace for Ukraine." She reiterated that the EU was prepared to play an active role in the upcoming peace negotiations.

(With input from Xinhua)