ISTANBUL

Following talks with the US in Saudi Arabia, Kyiv has accepted a proposal by Washington for a 30-day Russia-Ukraine ceasefire, according to Saudi official media.

The Saudi official Al-Ekhbariya channel said on X late Tuesday: "The US-Ukrainian talks in Jeddah succeeded under Saudi diplomatic efforts."

"After 9 hours of US-Ukrainian negotiations, Ukraine agreed to the US proposal for a temporary ceasefire lasting 30 days, extendable, along with a prisoner exchange between the parties (Russia and Ukraine)," the Saudi broadcaster also said.

While the parties are yet to comment on talks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday said Kyiv considered Washington’s proposal for a 30-day ceasefire with Russia as “positive.”

Early on Tuesday, US and Ukrainian delegations began talks in the Saudi city of Jeddah to discuss prospects for a possible Moscow-Kyiv peace deal.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha attended the talks, in the presence of Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan.

On Monday, Zelenskyy said on Telegram that Ukraine has always been seeking peace since the beginning of the war, indicating that Russia is the only reason that the war is still ongoing.

On Feb. 24, 2022, Russia launched a military offensive against Ukraine. Moscow demands Kyiv abandon aspirations to join Western military alliances as a condition for peace, a stance Ukraine views as “interference” in its sovereignty.