US to 'Immediately' Resume Security Assistance, Intelligence Sharing to Ukraine
Kateryna Hodunova Kyiv Independent
People rally in support of Ukraine. (photo: WP)
ALSO SEE: U.S. to Resume Military Aid to Ukraine as Kyiv Says It’s Open to Cease-Fire
The statement follows talks between Ukraine and the U.S. in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The U.S. has suspended military aid and intelligence to Ukraine after a meeting between President Volodymyr Zelensky, U.S. President Donald Trump, and U.S. Vice President JD Vance in the White House that ended in a heated argument.
The freeze on military aid has drawn criticism even from members of Trump's own party. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said that pulling aid from Ukraine in the midst of Russia's war would "be worse than Afghanistan."
U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz confirmed during a joint press conference in Jeddah that Washington will continue to provide military assistance to Ukraine under the so-called Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) program.
The delegations also discussed the essential role of humanitarian efforts in achieving peace, including the exchange of prisoners of war, the release of detained civilians and the return of forcibly displaced Ukrainian children.
The delegates will determine the composition of their negotiating teams to begin further negotiations to achieve a sustainable peace that will ensure Ukraine's long-term security, the Presidential Office's statement read.
Kyiv is also ready to accept Washington's proposal to immediately implement a temporary, 30-day ceasefire, which can be extended by mutual agreement. Ukraine is ready to take such a step only if Russia adheres to the terms of the ceasefire in the same way.
