The Trump administration has lifted its suspension of military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine. Kyiv has indicated it is willing to consider a 30-day ceasefire in the war with Russia, but only if Moscow agrees. This was revealed after talks between American and Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.

The suspension was put in place last week to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to begin discussions aimed at ending the war with Russian forces. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the US would present the ceasefire proposal to Russia. “We're going to tell them this is what's on the table. Ukraine is ready to stop shooting and start talking. And now it'll be up to them to say yes or no," Rubio said.

“If they say no, then we'll unfortunately know what the impediment is to peace here.” National Security Adviser Mike Waltz added, "The Ukrainian delegation today made something very clear, that they share President Trump's vision for peace. Waltz mentioned that negotiators discussed the important details of how to permanently end the war, including long-term security guarantees.

This news came as high-ranking officials from Ukraine and the United States began talks in Saudi Arabia aimed at ending Russia's three-year war against Ukraine. The talks began just hours after Russia shot down more than 300 Ukrainian drones, marking Ukraine's largest attack since Russia's full-scale invasion began. Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump's special envoy, is expected to visit Moscow later this week, where he may meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, a source familiar with the situation, who was not authorised to speak publicly, warned that the schedule could still change. Earlier in the day, journalists were briefly allowed into a room where a senior Ukrainian delegation was meeting with Rubio. Rubio smiled at the cameras, and when asked about his expectations for the meeting, he gave a thumbs-up and simply said, "Good."

On the other side of the table, Ukrainian officials, including the country's top diplomat and defence chief, maintained serious expressions as the meeting began at a luxury hotel. Despite this, Ukrainian presidential aide Andriy Yermak told reporters that the key focus was on achieving a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. He emphasised that security guarantees were crucial to prevent future invasions by Russia. This was the first meeting between the two sides since the heated exchange between Trump and Zelenskyy in the Oval Office last month.

Saudi Arabia's foreign minister was present as well, with American, Saudi, and Ukrainian flags visible in the background. Officials declined to respond to journalists' shouted questions. The delegations held talks for about three hours in the morning, paused for a break, and continued discussions in the afternoon. Meanwhile, there was no immediate response from Ukrainian or US officials regarding a large-scale attack involving 343 drones that struck 10 Russian regions. The attack resulted in three deaths and left 18 people injured, including three children, officials reported. Russia launched 126 drones and a ballistic missile targeting Ukraine, according to the Ukrainian Air Force, continuing its attacks on civilian areas during the ongoing war.

In Moscow, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that the United States would inform Russia about the outcomes of the Jeddah talks, calling it a standard practice. Meanwhile, in Kyiv, residents followed updates on the Saudi talks. Psychologist Lena Herasymenko acknowledged that compromises would be needed to end the war but stressed they must be fair and reasonable. “We had massive losses during this war, and we don't know yet how much more we'll have,” she told The Associated Press. “We are suffering every day. Our kids are suffering, and we don't know how the future generation will be affected.”

Oleksandr, a Ukrainian soldier who could only share his first name due to security concerns, warned that Ukraine must remain vigilant. He stressed that a ceasefire would simply allow Russia to strengthen its military resources, including firepower, manpower, missiles, and other weapons, which could lead to another attack on Ukraine. Meanwhile, a recent meeting in Jeddah provided an opportunity for Ukrainian officials to mend ties with the Trump administration following a heated disagreement during President Zelenskyy’s visit to the White House on February 28.

So far, the Kremlin has made no public compromises. Russia has stated it is willing to stop its attacks if Ukraine abandons its NATO membership plans and accepts the Russian occupation of territories currently under Moscow's control, which make up about one-fifth of Ukraine. Russian forces have maintained control on the battlefield for over a year, but this has come with heavy losses in both soldiers and equipment. They are advancing at specific points along the 1,000-km front line, particularly in the eastern Donetsk region, where Ukraine’s army is struggling with limited resources and fatigue.

Meanwhile, Ukraine has been investing significantly in its arms industry, focusing on advanced drone technology that has managed to strike deep inside Russia. According to Russia's Defence Ministry, most of the 126 Ukrainian drones fired overnight were shot down in the Kursk region, near the Ukrainian border. Additionally, 91 drones were intercepted over the Moscow region.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported that over 70 drones were intercepted while flying toward the Russian capital, marking the largest drone attack on Moscow since the war began. The governor of the Moscow region, Andrei Vorobyov, confirmed that the attack caused damage to several residential buildings and cars. As a result, flights at six airports were temporarily restricted, including Domodedovo, Vnukovo, Sheremetyevo, and Zhukovsky near Moscow, as well as airports in the Yaroslavl and Nizhny Novgorod regions.