Negotiations regarding a potential 30-day ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine war are scheduled to take place next week, between March 17 and 23. Andriy Yermak, the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, made the announcement on the night of March 12, following U.S.-Ukrainian talks in Saudi Arabia, according to Ukrinform.
“We have agreed that next week, the teams will begin discussing the details at the technical expert level,” Yermak stated.
He emphasized that much depends on Russia’s position, as the U.S. is expected to convey the proposals developed during the meeting with the Ukrainian side to Moscow.
“After this meeting, the Russian side holds the key. And the whole world will see who wants peace and who only talks about [striving for peace],” Yermak added.
The talks held in Saudi Arabia on March 11 concluded with Ukraine agreeing to a U.S. proposal for a temporary 30-day ceasefire. Following the meeting, the U.S. announced its intention to resume arms deliveries to Ukraine, which had been temporarily paused. U.S. intelligence sharing with Ukraine will also be reinstated. The American delegation pledged to communicate the outcomes of the negotiations to the Russian side.
What is the ceasefire deal about?
The deal was reached after a meeting in Saudi Arabia. Ukraine was represented by Andriy Yermak, head of Zelenskyy’s office; Andrii Sybiha, the deputy head of the Office of the President of Ukraine; Rustem Umerov, the minister of defense; and Pavlo Palisa, a colonel in Zelenskyy’s office.
The U.S. was represented by Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz.
The U.S. and Ukraine released a joint statement after the talks on Tuesday. The statement says that the countries have agreed on “an immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire, which can be extended by mutual agreement of the parties.”
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, Zelenskyy added that the ceasefire will apply to missile, drone, and bomb attacks “not only in the Black Sea but also along the entire front line.”
The joint statement added that this is subject to agreement by Russia – underlining the unusual nature of the agreement. Ceasefire deals are usually struck between warring parties, not one of the nations in a conflict and a country attempting to mediate peace.
The statement said that the U.S. “will communicate to Russia that Russian reciprocity is the key to achieving peace.”
