(LifeSiteNews) –– U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said at a press conference just moments ago that Ukraine has agreed to halt fighting against Russia for 30 days and to seek a peaceful end to the conflict.
“Today, we’ve made an offer that the Ukrainians have accepted, which is to enter into a ceasefire and into immediate negotiations to end this conflict,” Rubio said after talks in Saudi Arabia today. “The ball is now in (Russia’s) court.”
The announcement comes less than two months after Donald Trump was sworn in as president on January 20. Trump had run on ending the conflict as soon as possible.
“I want them to stop dying,” Trump emphatically told CNN at a town hall event during the campaign in 2023.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was at the White House last week to discuss ending the years-long war. His meeting with Trump went south, however, after he signaled that he was not interested in a lasting peace.
After meeting with European leaders days later, Zelensky expressed regret over his behavior in the Oval Office and sent Trump a letter stating he wants the conflict to be over.
“The president’s objective here is, number one, above everything else, he wants the war to end, and I think today Ukraine has taken a concrete step in that regard. We hope the Russians will reciprocate,” Rubio said.
Trump spoke about the agreement while at the White House today.
Extensive details of the plan are not readily known, but a statement issued by Zelensky’s office said that a U.S.-Ukraine minerals deal will be part of it.
Future aspects of the plan could include elections for the Ukrainian people, Zelensky’s resignation, and a promise that Ukraine will not be admitted to NATO, as those were rumored to be part of previous proposals.
This story is developing …
