A 30-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine may be finalized within "days," U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on March 12.
The temporary ceasefire agreement is contingent on whether Russia agrees to halt hostilities.
Ukraine agreed to the U.S.'s proposal for a 30-day truce during talks in Jeddah on March 11, after which Washington resumed military and intelligence support for Kyiv. The U.S. is expected to discuss the proposal with Russia in the coming days.
"Here’s what we’d like the world to look like in a few days: Neither side is shooting at each other — not rockets, not missiles, not bullets, nothing, not artillery" Rubio said in an airport in Ireland when asked about potential discussions regarding Ukraine ceding territory. "The shooting stops, the fighting stops, and the talking starts."
Reuters reported on March 12, citing Russian sources, that Russia is unlikely to agree to a temporary truce in Ukraine proposed by the U.S., feeling it has the upper hand on the battlefield and viewing the ceasefire as a trap.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov gave an evasive answer when asked about the U.S. proposal, explaining that the topic must first be discussed with the American side.
Any ceasefire agreement would have to take Russia's battlefield advances into account and provide "guarantees" to Moscow, sources told the news agency.
In the past, Russian President Vladimir Putin and other top officials have ruled out a temporary ceasefire that would freeze the conflict along the current front lines.
U.S. President Donald Trump has warned that Russia could face "devastating" financial consequences if it chooses to continue its all-out war against Ukraine.
"There are things you can do that wouldn't be pleasant in a financial sense," Trump said. "It would be very bad for Russia. I don't want to do that, because I want to get peace."
Russia continues to occupy roughly 20% of Ukraine's territory and made steady advances in Donetsk Oblast in late 2024. While Russia's advance in Ukraine's east has reportedly stalled earlier this year, Moscow's troops seemed to have made rapid gains in Kursk Oblast, the Russian border region where Ukraine has been fighting since August 2024.
Chris York
(Updated: )
