Trump: "We have people going to Russia right now" for ceasefire talks

US President Donald Trump stated that American representatives are already heading to Russia for a meeting regarding a ceasefire.
This was reported by The Guardian.

The American leader noted that "now everything depends on Russia," while emphasizing that Washington has received "some positive signals regarding the ceasefire."

According to the Russian service of BBC, Trump also warned of "devastating" sanctions against Russia if negotiations fail.

"We could do things very bad for Russia. Would be devastating for Russia. But I don’t want to do that because I want to see peace," the US president stressed.

What preceded this?

Earlier, The Guardian reported that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Washington is urging Russia to cease all hostilities and announced upcoming contact between Americans and Russians on March 12.

According to Rubio, Washington hopes for a positive response from Moscow regarding the proposed 30-day ceasefire initiative.

The Secretary of State emphasized that the White House "strongly urges the Russians to stop all combat operations" and that "there is no military solution to this conflict."

At the same time, Rubio confirmed that during negotiations with the Ukrainian delegation in Saudi Arabia, discussions included the possible structure of the peace process and potential territorial concessions.

"If they (Russia) say 'no,' then, unfortunately, we will know what the real obstacle to peace is. The Ukrainians are ready to stop the fighting, they are ready to cease fire, they are ready to sit at the table," he told reporters after talks with Kyiv.

Rubio: Ukraine needs sufficient deterrence against future attacks

According to Sky News, Washington is considering ensuring Ukraine’s long-term security.

"What’s the point of spending all this time on a ceasefire and peace negotiations just to see the war reignite in six years, four years, or three years? We are not interested in that," he stated.

The US Secretary of State also emphasized that Kyiv needs "sufficient deterrence against future attacks and future invasions."

"Every country in the world has the right to defend itself. We hope that we can stop all these hostilities and get to the negotiating table where both sides (…) can find a mutually acceptable outcome. This, in Ukraine’s case, ensures long-term prosperity and security," Rubio asserted.

However, the politician said he would not characterize the agreement on Ukraine’s rare earth minerals as a security guarantee for Kyiv.

US-Ukraine negotiations in Saudi Arabia

On March 11, a meeting between Ukrainian and American delegations took place in Jeddah, where Kyiv agreed to a 30-day ceasefire with Russia, and the US pledged to resume intelligence sharing and security assistance.

After the US-Ukraine talks in Saudi Arabia, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed hope that Russia would agree to a temporary ceasefire.

Meanwhile, White House National Security Advisor Mike Waltz stated that following the negotiations, Trump decided to immediately lift the pause on military aid to Ukraine.

Trump expressed hope that Russia would agree to a one-month ceasefire in Ukraine.