After prolonged and exhausting negotiations, Ukraine agreed to the US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire with Russia. The news that Ukraine was most desperate to hear came as the Ukrainian delegation was flying home: American military assistance was once again on its way. Gosha Tykhyi, a spokesman for Ukraine’s foreign minister, shared this news in a social media post, expressing gratitude for the confirmation of resumed military aid after talks with US officials in Saudi Arabia.
The meeting between the two parties in Jeddah resulted in two outcomes: the resumption of US weapon deliveries and intelligence sharing, and Ukraine’s agreement to the ceasefire proposal if Russia agreed to it as well. However, there is skepticism about Russia’s commitment to the ceasefire. Despite this, the reestablishment of American support is seen as a positive development for the relationship between Kyiv and Washington.
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In his address to the nation, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed gratitude to US President Trump for the constructive dialogue between their teams. In recent weeks, tensions had risen as the White House seemed to align itself with the Kremlin and increased pressure on Ukraine. France and British officials coached the Ukrainian delegation on how to speak with the Americans before the talks in Jeddah.
PRESIDIO_ANONYMIZED_URL_146 provides additional context on the Zelensky-Saudi Arabia meeting.
Mr. Tykhyi mentioned that one of the major challenges for the Ukrainian delegation was to “control emotions” in the lead-up to the meeting. The negotiation positions were also influenced by the recent Oval Office debacle.
It took more than eight hours of discussions to reach an agreement. The conclusion of the meetings emphasized that it is now up to Russia to end the war. If Russia does agree to the ceasefire, the challenge will be to make it enduring, considering Russia’s past violation of ceasefires.
士兵们对这项计划表示质疑， Magdeeva是其中一个。一方面，他们担心美国可能已经完全倒向了俄罗斯。
Liubov Sholudko contributed to the reporting of this piece.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/12/world/europe/ukraine-russia-cease-fire-skepticism.html
