Ukrainian representatives plan to propose a partial ceasefire with Russia during talks with a U.S. delegation scheduled for March 11 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, The Financial Times reported on March 9, citing sources familiar with the matter.
The proposal would reportedly include a ban on drone and long-range missile strikes, as well as a halt to hostilities in the Black Sea.
Meanwhile, the U.S. delegation intends to assess whether Ukraine is willing to make territorial concessions to Russia to end the war, Reuters reported on March 10, citing two American officials.
“You can’t say ‘I want peace,’ and, ‘I refuse to compromise,’” one U.S. official said ahead of the talks. Another added, “We want to see if the Ukrainians are interested not just in peace, but in a realistic peace. If they are only interested in 2014 or 2022 borders, that tells you something.”
One of Reuters’ sources said the U.S. delegation also aims to assess whether Ukraine is serious about improving relations with Washington following the contentious February 28 meeting between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House.
The U.S. delegation will include Secretary of State Marco Rubio and, reportedly, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff. The Ukrainian delegation will be led by Andriy Yermak, the head of the Ukrainian president's office, and will also include Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, and Pavlo Palisa, the deputy head of the Ukrainian president's office.
On March 9, Trump said he expected “a lot of progress” in the negotiations. Zelensky, for his part, expressed hope that the talks would yield results.
In recent days, the Trump administration has halted arms shipments and intelligence sharing with Ukraine, a move that news reports say is intended to pressure Kyiv into negotiations. Amid these developments, Moscow claimed it has retaken several settlements in Russia’s Kursk region.
NBC News reported on March 9 that the United States would be prepared to resume military aid and intelligence sharing if Zelensky agreed to territorial concessions, took steps toward holding elections in Ukraine, and possibly stepped down as president. Meanwhile, Trump remarked that Washington has “just about” ended the freeze on intelligence sharing with Kyiv.