Ukraine accepted a 30-day ceasefire deal Tuesday in exchange for President Donald Trump agreeing to resume sending military aid and sharing intelligence information with the nation, the UK Daily Mail reported. Russia has yet to respond to the administration's offer, although Secretary of State Marco Rubio is working on it.
On Wednesday, Rubio sat down in Saudi Arabia with Ukrainian officials to hammer out the idea. The Kremlin will now have the opportunity to sign on to the deal, which offers favorable conditions in exchange for the extended break from fighting.
In the past, Russia has asked that Ukraine not join NATO, to keep its land gains, and that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy be removed from office. "We´re going to tell them this is what's on the table," Rubio said after the meeting.
"Ukraine is ready to stop shooting and start talking. And now it'll be up to them to say yes or no," Rubio added.
Zelenskyy shared a statement to X, formerly Twitter, expressing his eagerness to make the deal it previously seemed would never happen. "I received a report from our delegation on their meeting with the American team in Saudi Arabia," the Ukrainian president wrote.
"The discussion lasted most of the day and was good and constructive—our teams were able to discuss many important details. Our position remains absolutely clear: Ukraine has been seeking peace from the very first second of this war, and we want to do everything to achieve it as soon as possible and in a reliable way—so that war does not return," Zelenskyy recounted after the meetings.
The Ukrainian president noted that stopping all use of force and the use of diplomacy, "which primarily means the release of prisoners of war and detainees—both military and civilian—and the return of Ukrainian children who were forcibly transferred to Russia," was necessary. "The American side understands our arguments and considers our proposals," Zelenskyy noted.
"Ukraine is ready to accept this proposal—we see it as a positive step and are ready to take it. Now, it is up to the United States to convince Russia to do the same. If Russia agrees, the ceasefire will take effect immediately," Zelenskyy concluded.
I received a report from our delegation on their meeting with the American team in Saudi Arabia. The discussion lasted most of the day and was good and constructive—our teams were able to discuss many important details.
Our position remains absolutely clear: Ukraine has been… pic.twitter.com/7EZXTVA52C
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 11, 2025
According to The Hill, Trump has sent envoys to Russia to finalize Moscow's part of the deal. National security adviser Mike Waltz met with a Russian official Wednesday, which the White House explained was "in a pursuit of ending this war and striking a peace deal with Russia and with Ukraine."
Just the day before, CIA Director John Ratcliffe had a phone conversation with Russian Foreign Intelligence Service chief Sergei Naryshkin. "Hopefully, we can get a ceasefire from Russia," Trump said.
"And if we do, I think that would be 80 percent of the way to getting this horrible bloodbath ended," he added. This deal is close to coming together just weeks after talks broke down during an Oval Office meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy.
The president sparred with Zelenskyy over his disrespectful demeanor and continued demands. Trump concluded he wasn't "ready for peace," though Zelenskyy has come crawling back ready to accept.
The war between Ukraine and Russia has gone on for three years and has cost a great deal in terms of loss of life and property for both countries. Something needs to be done to stop this conflict, and it appears Trump is on the verge of making it happen with his leadership.
