The US will “quickly lift the suspension of intelligence news sharing and resume security assistance to Ukraine,” the US and Ukraine said in a joint statement on Tuesday about a meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Kyiv has also expressed its preparation for accepting the US proposal to enact an immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire that can be extended by mutual agreement between the parties,” the statement said.
“The United States will tell Russia that Russia’s mutual relations are key to achieving peace,” it said.
Both sides also agreed to enter into rare mineral trade “as soon as possible” to expand Ukraine’s economy and ensure the country’s long-term security.
The two sides met for more than eight hours on Tuesday in a port city in Saudi Arabia.
Previously, a senior Ukrainian official said talks on a new round with the US had a constructive start. This is a great relief for Kiev after a very public explosion between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Voldymir Zelensky two weeks ago.
“The meeting with the US team has begun very constructively,” Andry Yermack, chief of staff for Zelensky, who represents Ukraine in talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, said Tuesday.
“We are working to bring about just and lasting peace,” he added.
The Ukrainian delegation, which did not include Zelensky, met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and national security adviser Mike Waltz. Both Rubio and Waltz met in person with Russia last month.
Before the meeting, Rubio said he wanted to know more about the US’s position in Kiev and the concessions Ukraine could be willing to make, adding that the US is in “listening mode.”
Yermak refused to outline what, if any, would compromise what his country could offer to reach a peace agreement. He said security guarantees from the US were “very important” so that Russia could not repeat the attack.
(Source: CNN)