U.S. Agrees to Resume Military Assistance to Ukraine
The announcement followed talks in Saudi Arabia where Kyiv said it would support the Trump administration’s proposal for a 30-day cease-fire with Russia.
Andrew E. Kramer and Alan Rappeport
Reporting from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
The United States agreed on Tuesday to immediately lift the pause on intelligence sharing and resume military assistance to Ukraine after more than eight hours of meetings in Saudi Arabia where Kyiv said it would support the Trump administration’s proposal for a 30-day cease-fire with Russia.
The talks in the coastal city of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, brought fresh momentum to cease-fire negotiations that faltered following a public confrontation at the White House between the Ukrainian and U.S. presidents. The Trump administration had paused all military assistance and intelligence sharing in the aftermath of the meeting.
The announcement came hours after Russian officials said Ukrainian drones targeted Moscow in the largest bombardment of the war. There was no immediate comment from Russia, which did not have officials at the talks.
In a joint statement, the United States and Ukraine acknowledged that the terms of any cease-fire would be subject to Russia’s approval. They also agreed to conclude “as soon as possible” a deal to develop Ukraine’s critical mineral resources — an agreement that was put on hold after the Oval Office dust-up. That joint venture is intended to “expand Ukraine’s economy and guarantee Ukraine’s long-term prosperity and security,” the statement said.
It added that the U.S. and Ukraine also discussed humanitarian relief efforts that would take place during a cease-fire and the exchange of prisoners of war.
“Representatives of both nations praised the bravery of the Ukrainian people in defense of their nation and agreed that now is the time to begin a process toward lasting peace,” the U.S. and Ukraine said in the statement.
The U.S. delegation in Jeddah was led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Michael Waltz, the national security adviser. They met with a delegation from Kyiv led by Andriy Yermak, the Ukrainian president’s chief of staff, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.
The intelligence cutoff had already impaired soldiers in combat, particularly in the Kursk region of Russia, where Russian soldiers, aided by fighters from North Korea, have been rapidly advancing, according to Ukrainian commanders in the field.
Reporting was contributed by Marc Santora from Kyiv, Ukraine, Anton Troianovski from Berlin, Ivan Nechepurenko from Tbilisi, Georgia, Maggie Haberman from Washington and Aurelien Breeden from Paris and Adam Rasgon from Jerusalem.
Andrew E. Kramer is the Kyiv bureau chief for The Times, who has been covering the war in Ukraine since 2014. More about Andrew E. Kramer
Alan Rappeport is an economic policy reporter, based in Washington. He covers the Treasury Department and writes about taxes, trade and fiscal matters. More about Alan Rappeport
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