US to resume security support to Ukraine as Kyiv says it is ready to accept ceasefire proposal

On Tuesday, the United States announced it would restart military assistance and intelligence cooperation with Ukraine after Kyiv expressed its willingness to back Washington’s plan for a 30-day ceasefire with Russia, according to a joint statement from the nations.

Following over eight hours of discussions with Ukrainian representatives in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the U.S. would present the offer to Russia, putting the decision-making responsibility on Moscow.

Three years ago, the Kremlin initiated a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and Russia, having made gains, currently controls about one-fifth of Ukraine’s land, including Crimea, which it annexed back in 2014.

Rubio stated that Washington was seeking a complete agreement with both Russia and Ukraine “at the earliest opportunity.” Russian President Vladimir Putin has indicated his willingness to negotiate a peace agreement, but he and his representatives have consistently asserted their opposition to a ceasefire and aim for a resolution that ensures Russia’s long-term security.

On January 20, Putin informed his Security Council that there “must not be a brief ceasefire, nor a pause for the rearrangement of forces and rearmament intending to resume the conflict later, but rather a lasting peace.”

He has also dismissed any territorial concessions and stated that Ukraine must completely withdraw from four Ukrainian areas asserted and partially governed by Russia. The Russian foreign ministry stated after the U.S.-Ukraine discussions on Tuesday merely that it did not dismiss the possibility of engaging with U.S. officials.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, present in Saudi Arabia but absent from the discussions, described the ceasefire as a “favorable proposal” that encompasses the conflict’s frontline, addressing not only aerial and naval confrontations.