U.S. arms deliveries to Ukraine resumed on Wednesday, authorities reported, just one day after President Donald Trump’s administration lifted the suspension of military aid to Kyiv in its fight against the Russian invasion. At the same time, Ukrainian officials indicated they were open to a 30-day ceasefire backed by Washington.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov cautioned that it was still too early to anticipate a response to the truce proposal. Speaking to the media, he stated that Moscow was awaiting “detailed information” from the United States before taking a position on the matter.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the 30-day truce would allow both sides to develop a step-by-step plan to end the conflict, including security guarantees for Ukraine. He also emphasized the importance of addressing technical issues to monitor the ceasefire along the extensive 1,000-kilometer border, where the use of small but lethal drones is common.
The arms deliveries to Ukraine are being carried out through a logistics hub in Poland, according to an announcement by the foreign ministers of Ukraine and Poland. The military equipment is passing through a NATO and U.S. facility in Rzeszow, a strategic city just 70 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, used for transporting Western weaponry.
U.S. assistance is crucial for Ukrainian forces, which are struggling to contain the numerically superior Russian troops. However, from Moscow’s perspective, Washington’s military aid could complicate its war objectives and hinder U.S. diplomatic efforts.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on Wednesday that Washington would seek “multiple channels of contact” with Russia to assess whether President Vladimir Putin is willing to negotiate an end to the war. However, he declined to provide details on the ongoing discussions. “The decision is in their hands,” Rubio said during a stopover in Shannon, Ireland, en route to a meeting in Canada with G7 nations. He added that he expected to see a halt to Russian attacks in the coming days as a first step.
Amid these negotiations, Russia is intensifying its offensive to expel Ukrainian forces from the border region of Kursk, making advances in recent days, according to Ukrainian soldiers who spoke to The Associated Press. The fighting is concentrated in the city of Sudzha, a key supply point and operational base for Ukraine. While some Ukrainian soldiers admitted that Russian forces were advancing, Russian state media outlets RIA Novosti and Tass reported that the Russian army had already entered the city. However, these claims have not been independently verified.
On Ukrainian territory, Russian ballistic missiles killed at least five civilians on Wednesday, local authorities reported.
President Trump, who is seeking to end the three-year war, pressured Zelenskyy to begin negotiations. The temporary suspension of U.S. military aid occurred days after a tense meeting between the two leaders at the White House. Rubio, who led the U.S. delegation in talks with Saudi leaders, announced that Washington would formally present the ceasefire proposal to the Kremlin. However, Russia has so far rejected any option that does not involve a permanent end to the conflict without making concessions.
“We will tell them that this is what’s on the table: Ukraine is willing to stop shooting and start talking. Now it’s up to them to accept or reject it,” Rubio told reporters. “If they say no, we’ll know exactly what is blocking the path to peace.”
Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is expected to travel to Moscow in the coming days to meet with Putin, although the agenda has yet to be confirmed. Meanwhile, Russian lawmakers remain skeptical about the possibility of a truce.
“Russia is advancing on the battlefield, so the situation is different for us,” Senator Konstantin Kosachev wrote on Telegram, suggesting that any agreement must be made on terms favorable to Russia rather than the United States. Meanwhile, legislator Mikhail Sheremet told the Tass agency that although Moscow does not seek to prolong the war, it will not allow itself to be deceived into an unfavorable agreement.
The outcome of the talks in Saudi Arabia places the burden on Washington to persuade Moscow to accept the ceasefire, according to John Hardie, an analyst for the Russia Program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
“Moscow will try to appear cooperative, but it will likely insist on establishing principles for a final peace agreement before agreeing to a temporary truce,” Hardie stated. He also suggested that Russia might demand a ban on Western military aid to Ukraine during the ceasefire and that Ukraine hold elections before reaching a long-term peace agreement.
Amid this scenario, Russia’s foreign intelligence service, known as SVR, reported that its chief, Sergei Naryshkin, held a phone conversation with CIA Director John Ratcliffe, during which they discussed cooperation in “areas of mutual interest” and the resolution of international crises.
