Topline
The Kremlin on Wednesday said it was “closely examining” a U.S.-brokered proposal for an immediate 30-day ceasefire in the war in Ukraine, which Kyiv agreed to on Tuesday, after Washington indicated that the ball was now in Moscow’s court.
The proposal was announced Tuesday. (Photo by ALEX WROBLEWSKITETIANA DZHAFAROVA/AFP via Getty … [+]
Key Facts
The ceasefire can be extended if Ukraine and Russia agree to additional terms, according to a joint statement issued by Washington and Kyiv officials after a meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The U.S. will immediately remove its pause on intelligence sharing and security assistance for Ukraine, according to the statement, about a week after the White House suspended intelligence that primarily aided Ukrainian attacks within Russian territory.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters Tuesday after peace talks with Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia “we’ll take this offer now to the Russians and we hope that they’ll say yes… the ball is now in their court.”
The U.S. and Ukraine also agreed to quickly reach an agreement on a mineral deal that was stalled last month after President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy engaged in a widely broadcast argument in the Oval Office that soured diplomatic relations and led to the Trump administration’s pause on military aid for Ukraine.
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What Has Russia Said About The Ceasefire Offer?
The U.S.-Ukraine joint statement noted that Russia had not formally accepted the deal. The Kremlin’s spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, told reporters on Wednesday, “We are examining the statements made following the negotiations carefully, and we are getting acquainted with the text of the joint statement adopted in Jeddah.” Peskov then indicated Moscow was not in a rush, saying Rubio and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz “mentioned that they would provide us with detailed information about the essence of the conversation that took place in Jeddah through various channels. We need to receive this information first.”
Will Putin Speak With Trump Directly?
When asked if Russian President Vladimir Putin would be willing to speak with Trump directly on the phone, Peskov said such a call can be organized quickly. The spokesperson said: “We also do not rule out that the topic of a call at the highest level may arise. If such a need emerges, it will be organized very quickly. The existing channels of dialogue with the Americans make it possible to do this in a relatively short time.”
What We Don’t Know
The specific terms of the ceasefire and what concessions, if any, Ukraine or Russia will have to make for the deal to go through. Zelenskyy has said Ukraine needs to be in a “strong position” within a peace deal and that lasting security guarantees are needed.
Chief Critic
Former U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton told CBC News Network on Tuesday that it is a “big mistake to insist that Ukraine agree to a ceasefire,” warning that a ceasefire along the frontlines could turn into the new Russian-Ukrainian border. “The result will be that Russia’s aggression will have been vindicated,” he said. Russia has control of eastern Ukrainian cities such as Melitipol, Mariupol, Donetsk, Bakhmut and Luhansk, according to BBC, which noted a smaller Russian offensive has taken shape in northern Ukraine as well.
Key Background
Relations between the Trump administration and Zelenskyy have been rocky in the leadup to the ceasefire proposal. Trump began trying to broker a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia last month, with his administration holding talks with the latter country without any Ukrainian delegates present. Zelenskyy said Ukraine would not accept a peace deal created without Ukrainian participation, also alleging Trump had fallen for Russian disinformation as the U.S. president called him a “dictator” who “has done a terrible job” handling Russia’s invasion. Trump and Zelenskyy verbally sparred in the Oval Office late last month, when the two were prepared to come to the table to sign a mineral deal that would allocate proceeds from Ukraine’s mineral resources to a joint fund with the U.S. as a means of providing the U.S. payback for the billions in military support it has provided Ukraine in the last few years. Tensions between Trump and Zelenskyy have slightly eased in recent days, with the Ukrainian president saying “it is time to make things right” after the U.S. pulled military support from Ukraine and Trump remaining optimistic a peace deal could still be completed.
Further Reading
Zelenskyy Wants To ‘Make Things Right’ As U.S. Cuts Off Assistance (Forbes)
Trump, Zelenskyy, Vance Face Off In Oval Office Shouting Match—Here’s Everything They Said (Forbes)
