FAQ
After massive tensions between President Trump and Selenskyj, the USA and Ukraine have surprisingly agreed on a joint proposal for a ceasefire. What does the advance provide – and how does Russia react?
What was agreed in Saudi Arabia?
The US State Department and the Ukrainian Presidential Office announced on Tuesday after talks in Saudi Arabia in a joint statement that the Ukraine had accepted a US proposal to immediately implement a preliminary 30-day break. The explanation does not show how this break should look in detail. It remains unclear whether the ceasefire should apply along the entire front or is limited to certain forms of warfare in a certain area. The Ukrainian President Wolodymyr Selenskyj said that the United States had proposed as part of a comprehensive fire break that the rocket, drone and bomb attacks were also discontinued not only in the Black Sea, but also along the entire front line.
A proposal of a one -month -limited ceasefire “in the air, on the seas and in the energy infrastructure”, which France President Emmanuel Macron had proposed, and which was supported by the British Premier Keir Starmer. Such a ceasefire would have been easier to monitor than a ceasefire that applies to the entire combat area, where the front run alone extends to around 900 kilometers.
The joint explanation continues that the fire break could be extended after the 30 days with mutual agreement. This depends on approval and implementation by the Russian Federation.
Have there been any further agreements in Dschidda?
It is particularly important for Ukraine to notify the state “immediately” to provide intelligence information and resume military aid. US intelligence information about Russian troop movements and upcoming air strikes – for example due to satellite observations – are of immense importance for the defense struggle of Ukraine and the protection of their civilian population. In their stop, experts saw a massive weakening of the Ukrainian army. The Polish government confirmed that the delivery of military goods is already running again – the country is transported through the country.
Ukraine and the USA also agreed to conclude a comprehensive raw material agreement as soon as possible. This has actually been prepared for weeks, but was put on hold in the White House in the White House after February 28 after a massive and public dispute between Selenskyj and US President Donald Trump. Trump demands US access to raw materials in Ukraine in return for military aid.
The USA and Ukraine also underlined the importance of humanitarian measures such as the exchange of prisoners of war, the release of civilians and the return of deported Ukrainian children.
What was not agreed?
The message mentions nothing of security guarantees for Ukraine. President Selenskyj had long called for this as a prerequisite for negotiations with Russia to prevent Russia from using an end to the fight to prepare for a new attack on Ukraine. Ukraine also initially linked a raw material agreement with the United States to security guarantees. After the scandal in the White House, Selenskyj had no longer raised this requirement. The joint explanation now suggests that Ukraine have given up this claim for now.
The new US administration had previously made it clear that it was not ready for such guarantees; She sees this as the responsibility of the Europeans. In addition, a raw material agreement is the best protection because US interests would then be touched in the event of a new Russian attack. This was confirmed by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio after the talks, but also admitted that Ukraine needed security guarantees.
How does Russia react?
The Russian Presidential Office initially commented on the advance. The explanation will be carefully examined after the US Ukrainian discussions, says President Vladimir Putin's spokesman, Dmitri Peskow. There will only be an answer after studying the proposals. The statement of Peskow is therefore more diploma than the reaction of Foreign Minister Sergei Lawrow, who showed that Moscow wanted to remain with his maximum demands during the peace negotiations. He sees little space for compromises.
Observers like Russia expert Andreas Heinemann-Grüder believe that the US-Ukrainian agreement is a disappointment for Russia. Russia was hoping that Trump Selenskyj would drop even more under pressure and possibly falling, Heinemann-Grüder said in an interview Tagesschau24. That is why Moscow is now concerned with winning time to find out what the United States offered them for a weapon break or what they would face with.
What's next?
According to the agreement, Russia is now to be informed comprehensively. Kremlin spokesman Peskow did not rule out a short -term phone call between President Vladimir Putin and Trump. Trump had already said on Tuesday that he could speak to Putin this week.
At the same time, Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff is to travel to Moscow and hit Putin. In addition, the national security advisor of the USA, Mike Waltz, will come together with his Russian colleague in the coming days.
What means of pressure to Russia?
After many friendly statements about Vladimir Putin, Trump has recently mentioned the possibility of tightened sanctions against Russia. He thinks “seriously about far-reaching bank sanctions, sanctions and tariffs against Russia until a ceasefire and a final peace agreement have been achieved,” Trump wrote on Truth at the weekend.
So far, Russia has managed to adjust to many sanctions or to bypass them. Economists, however, point out that Russia's economic problems are allowed to increase in recent years despite a boom and that the country could become more susceptible to new sanctions in the fall. An investigation by the Science and Politics Foundation, as an example, gives sanctions on important export goods such as liquid gas or fertilizers. A lower oil price could also heavily burden the Russian budget.
New arms deliveries to Ukraine could also make another advance of the Russian army difficult. However, Trump has so far revealed little willingness. Conversely, a further approach from the United States to Russia would be a significant prestige success for Putin, whose long -term goal is to drive a gap between the United States and Europe. It would be a similar success for Russia if the United States would overturn sanctions against Russia in return for ceasefire and any peace talks.
