After weeks of miserable disagreements, U.S. and Ukrainian diplomats exited their private negotiating room in Saudi Arabia with a plan for ending the Russian invasion.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and national security adviser Michael Waltz left the meeting in the coastal city of Jeddah with a clear message: "The ball is now in [Russia's] court."
"Today, we made an offer that the Ukrainians have accepted, which is to enter into a ceasefire and into immediate negotiations to end this conflict in a way that's enduring and sustainable and accounts for their interests, their security, their ability to prosper as a nation," Rubio said.
The preliminary deal would establish an immediate 30-day interim ceasefire capable of being extended with the consent of both parties. This break in hostilities would then allow the U.S. to mediate long-term concessions from Russia and Ukraine in order to cement a permanent arrangement.
"We'll take this offer now to the Russians and hope that they'll say 'yes,' that they'll say 'yes' to peace," the secretary of state continued. "The ball is now in their court."
Speaking to reporters not long after the agreement, President Donald Trump said he would reach out to Russian President Vladimir Putin "over the next few days" to bring them onboard with the ceasefire deal.
“I know we have a big meeting with Russia tomorrow, and some great conversations hopefully will ensue,” Trump said, according to the Associated Press, adding: "It takes two to tango."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed optimism in a video address following the deal, claiming that U.S. delegates proposed an "even bigger first step" than Ukrainians had been seeking.
"Our position remains absolutely clear: Ukraine has been seeking peace from the very first second of this war, and we want to do everything to achieve it as soon as possible and in a reliable way—so that war does not return," the Ukrainian leader said. "The American side understands our arguments and considers our proposals. I am grateful to President Trump for the constructive conversation between our teams."
He continued: "Ukraine is ready to accept this proposal—we see it as a positive step and are ready to take it. Now, it is up to the United States to convince Russia to do the same. If Russia agrees, the ceasefire will take effect immediately."
Trump made a pivot toward the Kremlin and against Zelensky not long after taking office. He accused the Ukrainian leader of being a dictator, exploiting American generosity, and not genuinely seeking peace.
Zelensky was kicked out of the White House last month following a televised argument with Trump and Vice President JD Vance in the Oval Office.
The White House further complicated Ukraine's battlefield situation after the spat by freezing military support and intelligence-sharing with Kyiv in a bid to strong-arm it closer to the United States' vision for peace.
The agreement seems to have thawed this stand-off, with Trump telling reporters after the announcement that he intends to invite Zelensky back to the White House.
To reach the deal, Rubio and Waltz spent hours in private negotiations with their Ukrainian counterparts: Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov, and Head of Presidential Office Andrii Yermak.
Their ornate and secure venue was a far cry from the increasingly desperate situation on the battlefield 3,000 miles away. Ukrainians and Russians reportedly clashed more than 200 times on the front line following dawn on Tuesday, with fighting ongoing.
Ukraine has done its best to retaliate against Russia's mass-scale aerial attacks. It launched a surprise assault on Moscow overnight, which killed at least three people and injured at least 18 and was deemed by Russian authorities as the largest attack of its kind on the capital city since the invasion of Ukraine began.
The Ukrainian military boasted via its Telegram feed that it successfully struck the Moscow oil refinery, which provides up to half of the city's gas and diesel.
Russia has been bombarding Ukraine with aerial assaults for days — at least 22 Ukrainians were killed in such attacks on Saturday in the Donetsk and Kharkiv regions.
UKRAINE STRUGGLING TO HOLD RUSSIAN LAND THAT COULD BECOME BARGAINING CHIP IN PEACE TALKS
Throughout Trump's arguments with Zelensky, Russia has remained cautious about their ultimate position vis-a-vis the White House.
"Don't rush to put on rose-tinted spectacles," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in Moscow on Tuesday at the Higher School of Economics, according to Reuters. "We always need to hope for the best but be prepared for the worst. And we must always be ready to defend our interests."
Trump warned on Friday that he is "strongly considering large scale Banking Sanctions, Sanctions, and Tariffs on Russia until a Cease Fire and FINAL SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT ON PEACE IS REACHED."