US Secretary of State Rubio: Ukraine is ready to accept 30-day ceasefire proposal

The meeting held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, between US and Ukrainian delegations to end the Russia-Ukraine War concluded after 9 hours. The Ukrainian delegation was led by the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak, while the US delegation included Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz.

Following the critical talks, Rubio made statements to the press alongside US National Security Advisor Waltz. Rubio said, "Today we made a proposal to Ukraine, and Ukraine has agreed to enter into a ceasefire process and begin negotiations to end the conflict in a permanent and sustainable manner."

Rubio announced that Ukraine is ready to accept a proposal for an immediate 30-day temporary ceasefire, which could be extended by mutual agreement of the parties and would begin to be implemented simultaneously once the Russian side also accepts it.

Emphasizing that they will now take the proposal to the Russian side, Rubio said, "We hope they will also accept it and say yes to peace. The ball is now in Russia's court. The President's top priority here, his goal above all else, is to end this war. I think the Ukrainian leadership took a concrete step in this direction today. We hope the Russians will respond in the same way."

During the press conference, when asked by reporters whether there was a deadline for Russia to respond to the ceasefire proposal, Rubio said they expect a response from Russia as quickly as possible. In response to a question about whether there would be a gesture of goodwill that the Russians could offer, Rubio said the best gesture of goodwill would be to say yes to the ceasefire proposal. Regarding a question about a mining agreement between Ukraine and the US, Rubio stated that this issue was not discussed in today's meetings and that they were focused on peace talks.

US WILL CONTINUE MILITARY AID TO UKRAINE

US National Security Advisor Waltz stated that the Ukrainian delegation gave a very clear message during the talks that they share US President Donald Trump's vision for peace. Expressing a determination to end the fighting, stop the deaths, and put an end to the tragic human slaughter and the depletion of national resources on the front line, Waltz stated that Ukraine not only accepted the ceasefire proposal but also held in-depth discussions on finally ending the war.

Stating that the shuttle diplomacy initiated by President Trump continues, Waltz said, "There is a designated negotiation team for the Russian side. A negotiation team has also been determined for the Ukrainian side. I will meet with my Russian counterpart in the coming days. Secretary Rubio will meet with G7 foreign ministers in the coming days. The NATO Secretary General will also be at the White House on Thursday. We will move this process forward in this way."

Waltz said, "As a result of this progress, the President has decided to suspend the decision to halt military aid and security support to Ukraine. This decision will take effect immediately."

In his statement, Yermak stated that protecting Ukraine's interests is the "most important thing" and that a "just peace" is the "key" to this. Yermak thanked the US and Saudi Arabian officials for the meeting.

"US MUST CONVINCE RUSSIA"

In a statement after the meeting, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russia must show whether it is ready to end the war or continue it, saying, "It is time for all the facts to come out."

Stating that the US side took the first step immediately by proposing a full ceasefire not only in the Black Sea but along the entire front line for 30 days, Zelenskyy said, "The US must convince Russia to do this. In other words, we accept it, and if the Russians also accept it, then the silence regime will work."

News Source: İHA