US resuming aid, intel sharing with Ukraine
JEDDAH—The United States agreed on Tuesday to resume military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine after Kyiv said it was ready to support Washington’s proposal for a 30-day ceasefire with Russia, the countries said in a joint statement.
After more than eight hours of talks with Ukrainian officials in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States would now take the offer to Russia, and the ball is in Moscow’s court.
“Our hope is that the Russians will answer ‘yes’ as quickly as possible, so we can get to the second phase of this, which is real negotiations,” Rubio told reporters, referring to US President Donald Trump.
The Kremlin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine three years ago, and Russia, which has been making advances, now holds around a fifth of Ukraine’s territory, including Crimea, which it annexed in 2014.
Rubio said Washington wanted a full agreement with both Russia and Ukraine “as soon as possible.”
“Every day that goes by, this war continues, people die, people are bombed, people are hurt on both sides of this conflict,” he said.
Putin’s ‘long-term peace’
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he is open to discussing a peace deal, but he and his diplomats have repeatedly stated they are against a ceasefire and would seek a deal that safeguards Russia’s long-term security.
Putin told his Security Council on Jan. 20 that there “should not be a short truce, not some kind of respite for regrouping forces and rearmament with the aim of subsequently continuing the conflict, but a long-term peace.”
He has also ruled out territorial concessions and said Ukraine must withdraw fully from four Ukrainian regions claimed and partly controlled by Russia.
“Any agreements—with all the understanding of the need for compromise—on our terms, not on American,” a Russian lawmaker said.
The Russian foreign ministry said on Tuesday only that it did not rule out contacts with US representatives.
‘Positive proposal’
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the ceasefire was a “positive proposal,” that covers the front line in the conflict, not just fighting by air and sea.
He said this would take effect as soon as Russia agreed.
“When the agreements come into force, during these 30 days of ‘silence,’ we will have time to prepare with our partners at the level of working documents all the aspects for reliable peace and long-term security,” he said.
