“Now the ball is in Russia’s court,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Wednesday, following Ukraine’s agreement to a 30-day cease-fire proposal brokered by the United States.
While the deal now hinges on Russia’s acceptance, skepticism remains over whether Moscow will honor the terms.
After hours of intense negotiations, Ukraine agreed to the US proposal, and as the Ukrainian delegation flew home, they received long-awaited news that US military assistance was resuming.
“I will only say that there is no better reward for such a crazy day than to learn, while already sitting on the plane, a short dry confirmation” that military aid had restarted, Heorhii Tykhyi, a spokesman for Ukraine’s foreign minister, wrote on social media.
The resumption of US weapons deliveries and intelligence sharing was one outcome of the meeting on Tuesday in the coastal city of Jeddah. Ukraine’s agreement to the cease-fire proposal—if Russia also accepts—was the other.
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While Ukrainians were deeply skeptical that Russia would honor the cease-fire, the unfreezing of critical American assistance was widely seen as a positive development that could help mend the fractured relationship between Kyiv and Washington.
On Wednesday, Zelenskyy expressed gratitude to President Trump, following criticism that he had not shown enough appreciation during their contentious Oval Office meeting last month, which led to the suspension of US aid.
“The US wanted us to show we want a fast peace, and we showed it,” Zelenskyy told reporters in Kyiv.
He noted that Trump played a role in the negotiations from afar, communicating with the US delegation while Zelenskyy remained in touch with his team. It took over eight hours for American and Ukrainian officials to reach an agreement.
Zelenskyy’s remark about Russia echoed similar comments made by Secretary of State Marco Rubio after the talks. However, the Kremlin has not yet confirmed whether it will agree to the 30-day cease-fire. Should Russia reject the proposal, Zelenskyy said he expects “strong moves” from the Trump administration.
“I don’t know details yet, but we are talking about sanctions and strengthening Ukraine,” he told reporters.
His comments reflected optimism that the White House, which had appeared to align itself more closely with the Kremlin before the aid suspension, might ultimately apply pressure to end the conflict.
Still, skepticism in Ukraine remained high. Russia had violated previous ceasefires in 2014 and 2015, and had denied plans to invade just days before launching its full scale assault in 2022.
“In my opinion, it will be like before when they introduced the ceasefire,” said Oleksandr Kovinko, a soldier fighting in eastern Ukraine. “We adhere to it, the enemy does not. And how it will actually be, it’s hard to imagine and predict.”
For some Ukrainians, distrust extended beyond Russia.
“I have no hope that the U.S.A. has not completely shifted to Russia’s side,” said Yulia Podkydysheva, a 31-year-old charity worker in Chernivtsi, western Ukraine.
While she acknowledged that “everyone could use 30 days to breathe some air and see the light” after three years of relentless bombardment, she feared the lull would be short-lived.
“It will most likely be about some next round of struggle,” she said.
As uncertainty loomed over Russia’s response, the war continued. Fierce battles were reported across the eastern front, while Russian forces clashed with Ukrainian troops in Russia’s Kursk region. Moscow also maintained its bombardment of military and civilian targets across Ukraine.
Ukraine’s Air Force reported that Russia launched three ballistic missiles and 133 strike drones late Tuesday and early Wednesday. One missile struck a civilian ship in the port city of Odesa, killing four crew members. Another missile attack later killed one person and injured more than a dozen in Kryvyi Rih—Zelenskyy’s hometown.
With fighting ongoing, the fate of the cease-fire proposal remained uncertain.
(NYT)
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