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During their meeting in Saudi Arabia, the Ukrainian and U.S. delegations discussed all issues related to the process of ending the war, according to Andriy Yermak, head of Ukraine’s Presidential Office.
He said this at a meeting with Ukrainian journalists after the talks with the U.S. delegation in Jeddah on Tuesday, Ukrinform reports.
“It was a very good, substantive, and meaningful conversation. We truly spoke as partners who have been together since the first day of Russia’s full-scale aggression. The main achievements of today’s meeting are, first of all, the immediate resumption of U.S. assistance and intelligence sharing. We also discussed all the issues related to the process of ending the war with a just peace,” Yermak said.
He noted that there was a frank exchange of views and key positions.
“What you see in the joint statement truly reflects our shared understanding: we are united in our vision of how to move toward the long-awaited just peace for Ukraine. And this is happening with the support of our main strategic partner — the United States. Furthermore, as stated in the joint statement, our European allies and partners will also participate in this process,” Yermak added.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, in turn, said at the briefing that the agreements reached would ensure the continuation of security assistance.
“This will greatly help us right now. We are on the side of decisive action, and we have done everything possible — and even the impossible — to achieve this,” Umerov said.
According to Yermak, one of the key objectives of the Ukrainian delegation was to secure U.S. support for a ceasefire in the air and at sea while ensuring that Ukraine receives security guarantees.
“We wanted to make it absolutely clear to our partners that no one wants to end this war more than Ukraine. But for us, it is crucial how the war ends and what security guarantees we receive afterward. I can say that we are satisfied with today’s discussions because they were detailed, substantial, and focused on the critical elements necessary for lasting peace,” he said.
Regarding the 30-day ceasefire discussed during the meeting, Yermak stated that the U.S. will now discuss the proposal with Russia.
“If Russia is truly ready to move forward, this will become clear soon. The key decision now lies with Russia. The whole world will see who wants peace and who does not,” he said.
Yermak also said that the joint statement of the Ukrainian and U.S. delegations outlines further steps beyond the 30-day ceasefire.
“Ukraine is ready to accept if Russia agrees to it, a 30-day ceasefire as the first step in order to really start preparing some more important document and prepare negotiations on all the details that need to be agreed upon so that Ukraine ends this war with a just peace and receives security guarantees. So that Ukraine, as a victim of this aggression, as a country that did not start this war, could truly come to the result that we all need,” Yermak concluded.
There are various security guarantee options on the table today, but they will 100% prevent any future aggression, said the head of the President’s Office, Andriy Yermak, after talks with the American delegation.
“It is too early to discuss specific details, as negotiations on security guarantees are still ongoing. At the same time, Ukraine will take into account its previous experience with the ‘Budapest Memorandum’ and the ‘Minsk Agreements’ to ensure that the guarantees are truly effective and not just ‘on paper.’”
Bilateral meetings between the US and Ukraine will continue, — Andriy Yermak.
The Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine hopes that representatives of partner countries will meet in the US, Ukraine, and other locations.
The U.S. and Ukrainian delegations met in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday, holding discussions for over eight hours. Following the meeting, both sides issued a joint statement outlining their commitments and further steps.
Read also: Ukraine and the US took an important step towards peace: results of the meeting in Jeddah
