US says close to cease fire deal in Ukraine as Zelenski backs proposal

Ukraine has accepted the US’ proposal for a 30-day ceasefire as Volodymyr Zelensky urged Washington to convince Russia to do the same.

In a statement, the Ukrainian president described the proposal as a “positive step” towards peace following hours of talks with US officials in Saudi Arabia.

He said, “Ukraine is ready for peace. Russia must show its readiness to end the war or continue the war. It is time for the full truth.” Hours later, President Donald Trump extended an invitation to Mr Zelensky to visit the White House – just weeks after a meeting between the two leaders descended into a fiery row.

“That’s a total ceasefire,” Mr Trump told reporters outside of the White House on Tuesday after the talks in Jeddah. “Ukraine has agreed to it. And hopefully Russia will agree to it.”

Mr Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is expected to travel to Moscow to advance the proposal to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Trump administration confirmed that it would immediately lift its suspension of military aid to Ukraine and its intelligence sharing with Kyiv.

The US will “immediately lift the pause on intelligence sharing and resume security assistance to Ukraine”, the countries said in a joint statement following Tuesday’s meeting.

It comes a week after the White House imposed the measures to push Mr Zelensky to enter talks to end the war with invading Russian forces.

Ukraine has also “expressed readiness to accept the U.S. proposal to enact an immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire, which can be extended by mutual agreement of the parties, and which is subject to acceptance and concurrent implementation by the Russian Federation,” the statement said.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he would now take the offer to the Russians and that the ball is now in Moscow’s court.

Meanwhile, the United States will resume sharing intelligence with Kyiv.

The press secretary for the White House, Karoline Leavitt, said the meeting has been both “positive” and “productive”.

Ukrainian and U.S. officials met behind closed doors for hours to find a path towards ending the war with Russia after Kyiv’s forces launched their largest drone attack on Moscow of the war overnight.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s chief of staff said on Tuesday that an interim 30-day ceasefire proposed by the United States and backed by Kyiv would now show if Russia wanted peace or not.

“Today, the key is in Russia’s hands. The whole world will see who wants peace and who does not,” he told reporters after Uthe Ukraine- US talks in Saudi Arabia.