JEDDAH — US Secretary of State Marco Rubio thanked Saudi Arabia for hosting the talks with Ukraine in Jeddah. In his remarks to the press along with US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz after their talks with high ranking Ukrainian officials in Jeddah on Tuesday, Rubio said: "I want to personally thank – we both want to thank – the team in Saudi Arabia, his majesty, for hosting us, for making this possible. They've been instrumental in this process and we're very grateful to them for hosting us here today," he said. In the press briefing, Rubio said that the US would present a ceasefire proposal to Moscow, hoping for its approval. "And hopefully we'll – we'll take this offer now to the Russians, and we hope that they'll say yes, that they'll say yes to peace. The ball is now in their court," he said. Ukraine supported a US proposal to declare a 30-day ceasefire in the war with Russia, while Washington agreed to lift its suspension of military aid and intelligence sharing with Kyiv immediately, according to a joint statement issued on Tuesday. The US Department of State revealed that the Jeddah meeting had achieved significant steps toward peace in Ukraine. The department said that Ukraine agreed during the Jeddah meeting to a 30-day ceasefire if Russia complies. Saudi Arabia hosted the talks between the US and Ukraine under the gracious direction of Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman. The Ukrainian team was led by Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian presidential office, and joined by Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha in the talks held in the presence of Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Minister of State, Cabinet Member and National Security Advisor Dr. Musaed Al-Aiban. Welcoming the commencement of talks between the United States and Ukraine to bring an end to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the Saudi Council of Ministers on Tuesday noted that this initiative reflects the Kingdom's balanced relations with various stakeholders, as well as its leading role in promoting global security and peace, and its commitment to dialogue as the most effective means of conflict resolution and bringing viewpoints closer together.
