'Ball is in their court' — Rubio on Russia's move toward ceasefire with Ukraine
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio voiced hope on March 11 that Russia would accept the proposal for a temporary ceasefire with Ukraine.
"The ball is in their court," Rubio said during a press conference following the talks with Ukraine in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
After the negotiations with Washington, Ukraine's Presidential Office announced that it was ready to accept the U.S. proposal for a temporary 30-day ceasefire if Russia also complied with the agreement.
Rubio noted that if the Kremlin rejects the ceasefire proposal, "then we'll, unfortunately, know what the impediment is to peace here."
"Ukraine is ready to stop shooting and start talking," Rubio said, adding that U.S. President Donald Trump has been clear that he wants to stop the war swiftly.
Asked about the deadline for the сonclusion of a truce agreement, Rubio said Washington hopes to do it "as soon as possible."
During the talks, the Ukrainian delegation proposed to implement a partial truce in the sky and at sea, while the U.S. side wanted "to try to do more," a source close to the Presidential Office told the Kyiv Independent.
Russia's stance toward a partial ceasefire is unclear, the source added. Moscow has repeatedly rejected freezing hostilities along the current front line, believing it has the upper hand on the battlefield.
"Within a certain period of time, we will prepare a final agreement on how to end the war. Now, the discussions concern only the first steps," the source said.
Ways to enforce a possible ceasefire also remain uncertain. Kyiv has previously emphasized that firm security guarantees from the U.S. and other partners should be a key part of any cessation of hostilities, arguing that Russia has repeatedly violated multiple ceasefires since the start of its aggression in 2014.
Kateryna Hodunova
