On March 11, 2025, U.S. and Ukrainian officials convened in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for extensive discussions aimed at resolving the ongoing conflict with Russia. The talks culminated in Ukraine agreeing to a U.S.-proposed 30-day ceasefire, contingent upon Russia's participation. In return, the United States committed to resuming military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine, support that had been previously suspended.
A 30-Day ceasefire proposal
One of the most significant outcomes of the meeting was Ukraine's agreement to a 30-day ceasefire proposal, contingent upon Russia's acceptance. The ceasefire is expected to include a halt in missile and drone strikes, as well as the suspension of active hostilities along the front lines. The proposal, initiated by the United States, aims to create space for broader peace negotiations. U.S. Secretary of State Rubio stated, "This ceasefire is a critical first step toward long-term peace. Now, we await Russia’s response." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also expressed his willingness to comply, stating, "We are ready to take this step. The key now is ensuring Russia does the same."
Ukrainian political scientist and military expert Alexander Kovalenko told APA that this decision should have been made in principle a long time ago: "This decision was discussed many times, it was agreed upon during the meeting between the US and Ukrainian sides in Saudi Arabia. However, it does not seem plausible that Russia will agree to it. Currently, there are unresolved issues for Russia, especially sensitive issues related to the Kursk region remain on the agenda. In addition, it has not been possible for Russia to fulfill a number of tactical and operational-tactical important tasks in the zone of combat operations. Also, the situation in the cities of Pokrovsk, Chasov Yar, Tayetsk and some directions still remains open. Russia would undoubtedly agree to a ceasefire in order to increase its potential and restore its forces. The main issue for it at the moment is precisely the achievement of a ceasefire. However, due to unresolved issues in the Kursk region and some territories of Ukraine, Russia cannot do this. Therefore, it seems that Russia will violate these agreements and will not comply with them."
Sharing her thoughts on the 30-day ceasefire with APA, Deputy Director of the Russian Institute for Political Studies Daria Grevtsova said that Russia has already learned a lesson from the Minsk-1 and Minsk-2 agreements: "At that time, the ceasefire simply meant the rearmament of the Ukrainian army, the mobilization and activation of all Ukrainian resources to start a war. Therefore, now, when a similar analogue of the ceasefire is proposed, Russia, given past experience, will most likely not agree to such a truce. But there is an option for Russia to agree to this truce under pressure from the countries of the global south that want this war to stop. But with a condition. We cannot say exactly what this condition will be, the country's leadership will decide on it, but it is likely that it could be the lifting of sanctions during these 30 days, or perhaps an embargo on arms supplies to Ukraine during these 30 days."
American political scientist Peter Tase in an interview with APA said this proposal will be faced with heavy opposition from Moscow: “However other actors such as Turkey, UAE, Hungary in addition to the United States, will convince Russia to respect these proposed items that Ukraine had approved in Jeddah,” said Peter Tase.
Resumption of US military and intelligence support
Another major development was the immediate resumption of U.S. military and intelligence aid to Ukraine. After a temporary reduction in support due to political disagreements within the U.S. government, Washington has now committed to providing:
–Advanced air defense systems to counter Russian missile and drone attacks;
–Long-range artillery and munitions to strengthen Ukraine’s battlefield position;
–Increased intelligence sharing to help Ukraine detect and respond to Russian operations.
This decision signals Washington's continued commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty and defense while also urging diplomatic measures to prevent further escalation.
Military expert Kovalenko believes that the restoration of US military support to Ukraine is of great importance: “For some time, the US did not provide us with assistance for six months. Between 2023 and 2024, the Republican Party in Congress blocked assistance to Ukraine. During this period, the situation was extremely difficult, but the defense was a success. Even in this case, the defense system would not have collapsed and the front line would not have collapsed. However, the presence of assistance is important both in terms of organizing defense and preparing for counter-offensive operations. Therefore, diversifying assistance from the US will soon be one of the main tasks for Ukraine. We must be sure that, in addition to the US, other sources of support are always available. And this is not limited to the European Union. In general, cooperation with the US is more favorable for Ukraine. This will allow for a faster increase in potential and obtaining large-scale intelligence. Because it is more effective to receive intelligence directly from the US instead of distributing it to various sources.”
American Political commentator noted that military aid to Russia will not be provided by the United States: “Ukraine will continue to receive military aid from Washington until Moscow takes action and comes to terms with reality and achieves peace in Ukraine.”
Humanitarian issue
The recent US-Ukraine talks in Jeddah brought crucial discussions not only on military and diplomatic matters but also on the pressing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. As the war continues to take a heavy toll on civilians, the talks emphasized humanitarian relief efforts, reconstruction planning, and securing essential aid for affected populations.
Kovalenko noted that one of the most important issues for Ukraine is the return of prisoners of war: “We constantly raise this issue, but the Russian side disrupts these processes and meetings in various ways. Russia agrees to a large-scale exchange of prisoners only if Ukraine has prisoners of strategic importance for Russia in its hands. In this case, it is inclined to make an exchange.
We are discussing with the United States not only the issue of “exchange of all prisoners”, but also the issue of the return to Ukraine of our citizens who were forcibly expelled from their native lands, especially children growing up in orphanages and other persons placed in state institutions. These persons were illegally taken from the temporarily occupied territories to the territory of Russia. These issues have been discussed, and we hope that the US representatives will bring these issues to the attention of the Russian side at the upcoming meetings.”
“Humanitarian Initiatives in Ukraine, have already been taking place thanks to the great generosity of the People of Azerbaijan. On February 12, 2025. The second part of the $1 million humanitarian aid consisting of electrical equipment was sent to Ukraine. The aid dispatched from Azerbaijan on 7 and 12 February 2025 includes more than 52 thousand meters of electrical cables and wirings as well as 17 transformers. This assistance is critical for helping Ukraine to restore its destroyed energy infrastructure in the war-affected regions and cope with the difficulties posed by harsh winter,” said Mr Tase.
American political expert noted Azerbaijan’s humanitarian assistance over $40 million worth reconstruction and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine: “134 transformers and complete transformer substations, 70 power generators, and 3,4 million meters of electrical cables and wirings were provided by Azerbaijan in the last 3 years”.
Future diplomatic roadmap
The Jeddah negotiations set the stage for further international peace talks, with additional meetings expected in Brussels and Washington.
Ukrainian expert Kovalenko noted that relations between Kyiv and Washington are developing quite difficultly against the backdrop of the current administration: "Because the current administration does not have a fully diplomatic approach, it is more reminiscent of a business consortium. The current US Administration can be described as a business structure led by Donald Trump. Therefore, we must understand that classical diplomacy will not work and it will be necessary to act with unconventional methods. It is clear that negotiations will not be easy, especially given the ambitions and uncertain character of the new US President. Nevertheless, we do not intend to break off bilateral relations with the US and are trying to maintain diplomatic relations with the new President at a high level. This is a difficult task, and during this period it is possible to see how complicated it is. But in general, it can be said that, despite the change of presidents and administrations, strategic relations between countries and partners remain."
American Political scientist noted another round of negotiations will take place in Jeddah, sometime next month: “Now the ball is on Moscow's court.”
Development of Ukraine's mineral resources
Parallel to the ceasefire discussions, the United States and Ukraine have made strides in formalizing an economic agreement centered on the development of Ukraine's substantial mineral resources. A preliminary framework proposes the establishment of a co-owned Reconstruction Investment Fund, into which Ukraine would contribute 50% of future revenues from natural resources, including minerals, oil, and natural gas. These contributions aim to facilitate Ukraine's post-war reconstruction and economic stability.
Mr Tase said the United States will begin very soon to extract rare earths from Ukraine: “It is sad and misfortune to see Zelenskyy go to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with the very same clothes that he wore during his visit to the White House, on February 28th (Friday), his dress code is seriously bizarre and does not contribute to this tenuous process of negotiations.”
Conclusion: A pivotal moment for peace?
The US-Ukraine talks in Jeddah have produced substantial diplomatic and military commitments, but their success hinges on Russia’s response to the ceasefire proposal. If Moscow agrees, these developments could mark the beginning of a broader peace process. If not, Ukraine will continue receiving enhanced U.S. military support to sustain its defense efforts.
With the world watching closely, the next few weeks will be critical in determining whether this ceasefire leads to lasting peace or a continuation of hostilities.
