US officials are headed to Russia to discuss a potential ceasefire in Ukraine, according to President Donald Trump.
The news comes after Ukrainian officials agreed to a 30-day ceasefire following a highly anticipated meeting with American officials in Saudi Arabia.
Earlier, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the “ball is truly in their [Russia’s] court” and that the US believes the only way to end the fighting is through peace negotiations.
The Kremlin has said it is studying the ceasefire proposal, and that a phone call between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin is possible.
Following the meeting in Jeddah on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky said it was now up to the US to convince Russia to agree to the “positive” proposal.
Speaking alongside Ireland’s Taoiseach – or Prime Minister – Micheál Martin in the Oval Office on Wednesday, Trump said he had received “positive messages” about the possibility of a ceasefire.
“But a positive message means nothing,” he said. “This is a very serious situation.”
Trump did not specify what officials he was referring to.
However, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters at the White House that National Security Secretary Mike Waltz spoke to his Russian counterpart.
Earlier this week, a source familiar told the BBC that Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff would head to Moscow for negotiations following the talks in Jeddah.
The White House confirmed the plans on Wednesday.
“We urge the Russians to sign on to this plan. This is the closest we have been to peace in this war,” Leavitt said.
The Kremlin has said it is studying the proposed ceasefire and further details, which spokesman Dmitry Peskov said will come “via various channels” over the course of the next several days.
In the Oval Office, Trump said that he believes a ceasefire would make sense for Russia, adding – without further details – that there is a “lot of downside to Russia” as well.
“We have a very complex situation solved on one side. Pretty much solved. We’ve also discussed land and other things that go with it,” Trump added. “We know the areas of land we’re talking about, whether it’s pull back or not pull back.”
To pressure Russia, Trump said that he “can do things financially”.
“That would be very bad for Russia,” he said. “I don’t want to do that because I want to get peace.”
The meeting in Jeddah was the first between US and Ukrainian officials since a 28 February meeting between Zelensky, Trump and Vice President JD Vance descended into a shouting match and, ultimately, a pause in US military assistance and intelligence sharing.
The pause was lifted following the meeting in Jeddah, and Trump said that he believes that the “difficult” Ukrainian side and Zelensky now want peace.
Even as negotiations over a potential ceasefire are ongoing, fighting has raged in Ukraine.
Russian drones and missiles reportedly struck targets in Kryvyy Rih – Zelensky’s hometown – overnight, as well as in the port city of Odesa, Dnipropetrovsk and Kharkiv.
Clashes also continued in Russia’s Kursk region, where Peskov said Russian troops were “successfully advancing” and recapturing areas held by Ukrainian forces.
And later on Wednesday, the Kremlin said President Putin had visited a command post in the region. He was shown in footage released by the Kremlin walking alongside his military chief Valery Gerasimov, with both men wearing combat gear.
It marked the Russian president’s first visit to the region since Ukraine’s incursion across the border in August last year.
Russian media report that President Putin ordered the military to “fully liberate” the region during the visit. He is yet to comment on the ceasefire proposal agreed by Ukraine and the US on Tuesday.
The head of Ukraine’s military, Oleksandr Syrsky, also indicated on Wednesday that some of its troops were withdrawing from Kursk. In a post on the Telegram messaging app, he said: “In the most difficult situation, my priority has been and remains saving the lives of Ukrainian soldiers.”
