Zelenski Caves, Again

The Daily Beast, March 11, 2025. Donald Trump will invite Volodymyr Zelensky back to the White House after America and Ukraine agreed to an immediate 30-day ceasefire deal that is contingent on Russia also accepting, according to reports.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters that the deal was reached after hours negotiations between American and Ukrainian officials in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

“Today, we made an offer that the Ukrainians have accepted, which is to enter into a cease-fire and into immediate negotiations to end this conflict in a way that’s enduring and sustainable and accounts for their interests, their security, their ability to prosper as a nation,” Donald Trump’s top foreign affairs official said, per NBC News.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz arrive to speak with the media following meetings with a Ukrainian delegation in Jeddah on March 11, 2025. / SAUL LOEB / POOL/AFP via Getty Images

“And hopefully we’ll take this offer now to the Russians, and we hope that they’ll say yes, that they’ll say yes to peace,” Rubio added. “The ball is now in their court.”

In a joint statement from Trump and Zelensky, both countries agreed to conclude “as soon as possible a comprehensive agreement for developing Ukraine’s critical mineral resources.”

“Now, it is up to the United States to convince Russia to do the same,” Zelensky said in a separate statement on X. “If Russia agrees, the ceasefire will take effect immediately.”

He added that the deal was for “a 30-day full interim ceasefire, not only stopping missile, drone, and bomb attacks, not only in the Black Sea, but also along the entire front line.”

Zelensky also offered his gratitude to Trump for the “constructive conversation between our teams.”

Trump told reporters at the White House that he hoped Russia would accept the deal and that he was open to inviting Zelensky back to the White House, according to Axios.

In the weeks leading up to this deal’s announcement, Trump has repeatedly accused Zelensky of not wanting to broker peace in the three-year war, even referring to the democratically elected leader as a “dictator.”