From Izvestia, March 12, 2025, p. 1. Condensed text:

Editors’ Note. – The US said that Ukraine is ready to resolve the conflict and has agreed to an immediate 30-day ceasefire, but this requires approval from the Russian side. This was reported by representatives of the American delegation following a meeting in Jeddah on March 11. At the same time, Kiev’s desire to move toward ending the conflict has been called into question by the UAV attack on Moscow, which was the largest [to date] and took the lives of three people. The attack only confirms that the Ukrainian side is not ready for either a real ceasefire or peace, Federation Council deputy speaker Konstantin Kosachov told Izvestia. . . .

The Americans ignored Ukraine’s aggression; in fact, they announced the immediate resumption of military aid to Kiev. At the same time, Donald Trump announced an upcoming conversation with [Russian President] Vladimir Putin, as well as meetings between Russia and the US on March 11 or March 12. Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff is scheduled to visit Moscow on March 13, the State Department said. The Russian Foreign Ministry responded that contacts with US representatives are possible in the next few days. Read on to find out what else the parties in Jeddah arrived at and what they are offering Moscow. . . .

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Notably, Trump’s special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, who was initially listed as part of the American negotiating team, was apparently absent at the start of the talks. The Ukrainian side was represented by presidential chief of staff Andrei Yermak and his deputy Pavel Palisa, Foreign Minister Andrei Sibiga and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov. Vladimir Zelensky was not at the table: The Ukrainian leader arrived in Saudi Arabia the day before to meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The day before, Rubio said that a meeting with Zelensky was not on the agenda, but he did not rule out an informal dialogue with him. Perhaps this is what the Ukrainian leader was counting on when he organized a meeting with the Saudi leader on the eve of the negotiations.

Following the meeting, the parties came to an agreement to establish a ceasefire for 30 days, not only in the air and at sea, as Kiev had initially proposed, but also on land. A ceasefire would require Russia’s consent, and Washington hopes Moscow will accept the proposal. The US will convey it to Russia through several channels, Marco Rubio noted. The ceasefire regime may be extended by agreement of the parties, said representatives of the US and Ukraine in a joint statement.

The US secretary of state also commented that “the ball is now in [Russia’s] court.” Vladimir Zelensky made an address following the meeting of the delegations and declared his readiness to end the conflict, but [the US] “must convince Russia” to do the same, he stated. Rubio added that agreeing to begin negotiations to end the crisis would be the best manifestation of Russia’s “good will.” Following the US-Ukraine talks, Donald Trump also spoke out, announcing a meeting between the US and Russia on Ukraine on March 11 or March 12. He also expressed hope that Moscow would agree to a ceasefire. Moreover, the American leader did not rule out a conversation with Vladimir Putin this week. At the same time, Russia does not rule out contacts with US representatives in the coming days, said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.

Following the meeting, it became known that Zelensky is expected at the White House again. Washington also announced the immediate resumption of military aid to Kiev, including intelligence sharing. The US had suspended military aid to Ukraine in March. Ahead of the talks in Jeddah, Rubio said the meeting “will be key” to resuming US military aid to Kiev.

They also agreed there to reach an agreement on rare earth metals within a short time frame. No deal was signed at the meeting itself. The issue of Washington providing security guarantees remains unclear. Neither side mentioned them after the negotiations.

Ukraine has apparently made concessions to the US with regard to conditions for a temporary ceasefire after the failed meeting in the Oval Office, says Igor Istomin, acting head of the applied analysis of international processes department at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations.

“However, now Ukraine’s agreement to a peaceful settlement with US support could become a tool to pressure Russia, which will have to respond and make decisions. Trump probably hopes that Moscow will change its position and agree to a two-stage settlement – that is, first a temporary ceasefire, and then a full-fledged agreement,” Igor Istomin said in an interview with Izvestia.

The Americans did not agree with Russia [in advance] about what they are [now] announcing after the meeting with the Ukrainians – they are imposing an unfavorable arrangement on Russia, believes Vladimir Bruter, an expert at the International Institute of Humanitarian and Political Studies.

“This is the very performance that was played out in Washington,” he said, drawing attention to the fact that it was no coincidence that the day before they had announced that Witkoff would go to Putin to negotiate.

Trump’s team is not particularly trusted in Kiev, either: [Supreme Rada] Deputy Maryana Bezuglaya, known for her controversial statements, called on the Ukrainian delegation not to sign any agreements with the US, calling Trump’s team “an ally of Russia and an enemy of Ukraine. Any signature under the current circumstances is a step toward capitulation,” she wrote on social media.

During the negotiations, Washington ruled out Ukraine’s return to its 2014 or 2022 borders, Western media reported. Later, the Ukrainian side denied everything, calling such statements “disinformation.” However, one thing is clear: The US negotiating agenda continues to shift from support for “victory at any cost” to a search for intermediate solutions. A similar trend is observed among Washington’s European allies: France and the UK have been pushing for a month-long moratorium on attacks on energy infrastructure and civilian targets, but this initiative also appears untenable given Kiev’s aggressive actions.

On the eve of the meeting in Jeddah, Moscow experienced its largest drone attack in three years. On the night of March 11, hundreds of Ukrainian UAVs were directed at the capital and surrounding regions. According to initial data from the Russian Defense Ministry, 337 drones were destroyed or intercepted: 91 over Moscow Province, 126 over Kursk Province, and the rest over Bryansk, Belgorod, Ryazan and other provinces. Later, the agency clarified that a total of 343 UAVs had been detected and shot down. The attack killed three people and injured 18, including three children. The measuring station of the Druzhba oil pipeline was also damaged. The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) admitted that it was one of the targets.

The Russian Investigative Committee opened a case of terrorism, and the Russian Foreign Ministry brought Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Secretary General Feridun Sinirlioglu, who arrived in Moscow to meet with [Russian Foreign Minister] Sergei Lavrov, to the site where the debris fell to show the consequences of Kiev’s actions [see the first article of the International Affairs section, below]. . . .

“All the strikes were directed against civilian infrastructure facilities, and in many ways the hits were purely random – whatever came to hand became the target of attack. A barbaric act that has no justification from either a humanitarian or military point of view. This is pure politics – an attempt to strengthen Ukraine’s negotiating position. But, from my point of view, this does not strengthen them, but weakens them, since it once again presents Ukraine as a party incapable of negotiation. This is precisely the claim that was made against Ukraine in the Oval Office during the famous scene,” Federation Council Deputy Chairman Konstantin Kosachov told Izvestia.

The senator expressed hope that Kiev’s unwillingness to strive for peace is as obvious to the Americans as it is to the Russians. The National Security and Defense Council called the attack a “signal to Putin” about the need for a ceasefire. However, the Russian Foreign Ministry interpreted this “signal” differently. Ukraine is interested in continuing the bloodshed, Rodion Miroshnik, Russian Foreign Ministry ambassador at large for crimes of the Kiev regime, told Izvestia.

“This attack was such a sharp contrast that it demonstrates the unwillingness of the Ukrainian side to seek any kind of peaceful settlement. They ‘want peace’ so much that they sent several hundred drones in our direction. This is where Kiev’s approach is demonstrated. Ukraine is interested exclusively in continuing the bloodshed – the only way to [persuade Kiev to make] peace is to force it,” emphasized Rodion Miroshnik.