The Donald Trump administration lifted its suspension of military aid and intelligence sharing for Ukraine, after Kyiv endorsed a 30-day cease-fire in the conflict with Russia, pending Moscow's agreement, officials from the United States and Ukraine said on Tuesday following 9-hour talks in Saudi Arabia.
The U.S.' decision marked a sharp shift from only a week ago, when it imposed the measures to push Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to enter talks to end the 3-year conflict. The suspension of U.S. assistance came after Zelensky and Trump argued in a tense White House meeting on Feb 28.
For its part, Ukraine has agreed to the U.S. proposal to establish a 30-day full interim cease-fire, which envisages stopping the missile, drone, and bomb attacks, as well as fighting along the entire frontline.
Zelensky quickly thanked Trump over the "positive" cease-fire proposal made in Jeddah and said the U.S. must now work to persuade Russia.
"The American side understands our arguments, perceives our proposals, and I want to thank President Trump for the constructive conversation between our teams," he said in his evening address.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who led U.S. delegation to the talks in Jeddah, said Washington would present the cease-fire offer to the Kremlin, which has thus far opposed anything short of a permanent end to the conflict without accepting any concessions.
Hours before the Jeddah talks, Ukraine staged a major direct attack on Moscow, with hundreds of drones slamming into the capital and other areas, leaving three people dead.
In Washington, Trump said he was ready to welcome Zelensky back to the White House and may speak to Russian President Vladimir Putin this week.
In a joint statement, Ukraine and the U.S. also said they would conclude "as soon as possible" a deal securing U.S. access to Ukraine's mineral wealth, which Trump demanded as compensation for billions of dollars in U.S. weapons under his predecessor Joe Biden.
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