Ukraine Agrees to U.S.-Led Cease-Fire Proposal

Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at a U.S.-led cease-fire proposal for the Russia-Ukraine war, the arrest of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, and Greenland’s snap parliamentary elections.

Now, It’s Up to Russia

The United States agreed to immediately lift its pause on all military aid and intelligence-sharing to Kyiv on Tuesday following talks with senior Ukrainian officials in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. In turn, Ukraine expressed willingness to enact a 30-day cease-fire with Russia and enter immediate negotiations to establish an “enduring and sustainable” end to the conflict—so long as Moscow agrees to do the same.

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Now, It’s Up to Russia

“The ball is now in [Russia]’s court,” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said. “I hope they’re going to say yes. And if they do, then I think we’ve made great progress. If they say no, then we’ll unfortunately know what the impediment is to peace here.”

Tuesday’s meeting also discussed humanitarian relief efforts; the return of forcibly transferred Ukrainian children, a war crime that the International Criminal Court has accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of orchestrating; the exchange of prisoners of war; and the establishment of a U.S. rare-earths deal with Ukraine.

“Our respective presidents have instructed the appropriate members of their governments to bring this to finality and to conclusion,” Rubio said on Tuesday regarding the critical minerals deal.

This was the first time that high-level U.S. and Ukrainian officials have convened since U.S. President Donald Trump hosted contentious talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House nearly two weeks ago, after which Washington paused military aid and intelligence-sharing to Kyiv.

The talks in Jeddah came just hours after Ukraine launched its largest-ever drone strike on Moscow and its surrounding region. According to the Kremlin, Russia intercepted 343 drones. The attack killed at least three people, injured around 18 others, suspended operations at four international airports, and destroyed railway tracks. Ukraine’s General Staff said the offensive also struck oil facilities in Russia’s Moscow and Oryol regions.

Zelensky praised Tuesday’s talks and expressed gratitude for the Trump administration, highlighting the ways that the United States’ plan addressed Kyiv’s initial suggestions. Trump also celebrated the Jeddah meeting, saying, “Hopefully President Putin will agree to that also and we can get this show on the road.” The Kremlin has not yet responded to the cease-fire proposal. But Trump said that he expects to speak with Putin this week, adding, “It takes two to tango.”

However, a key sticking point between Washington and Kyiv remains. Ukrainian presidential advisor Andriy Yermak stressed in Jeddah on Tuesday that U.S. security guarantees are “very important” to prevent Russia from reinvading the country, something that Kyiv’s European allies agree with. “Putin has proven time and again that he is a hostile neighbor,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Tuesday at the European Parliament. “He cannot be trusted. He can only be deterred.”

But Trump has consistently opposed offering such promises and has instead said that such responsibilities should fall to Europe. The White House has also stressed that Kyiv must prepare to make serious concessions, particularly over Russian-occupied territory.

On Tuesday, military chiefs from 30 countries convened in Paris to discuss the creation of an international security force for Ukraine. The officials debated a U.K.-French blueprint that would create a “coalition of the willing” to help defend Kyiv as well as bolster the continent’s security. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov questioned the purpose of such an initiative on Tuesday, particularly because it aims to create a peacekeeping force in Ukraine, which Putin rejects.

Today’s Most Read

What We’re Following

ICC arrest. Acting on an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant, Philippine authorities arrested former President Rodrigo Duterte at Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Tuesday for alleged crimes against humanity. The charges stem from mass killings and disappearances carried out as part Duterte’s yearslong crackdown on drugs, which rights groups estimate killed around 30,000 people from 2011 to 2019.

“[T]here are reasonable grounds to believe that” the crackdown “was both widespread and systematic,” the warrant says. Duterte is the first former Asian leader to be arrested on an ICC warrant; his detainment is made rarer by the fact that the Philippines is no longer a member of the global court and is therefore not obligated to carry out ICC rulings.

Duterte had departed on a sudden trip to Hong Kong with his family last Friday, sparking speculation that he was trying to outrun the ICC warrant. “Show to me now the legal basis for my being here,” Duterte told authorities during his surprise arrest in remarks captured on video by his daughter. “You have to answer now for the deprivation of liberty,” he added. A flight carrying Duterte reportedly left for The Hague just hours after his arrest.

“Independence election.” Greenland held snap parliamentary elections on Tuesday, with the island’s 40,500 eligible voters casting ballots to elect just 31 lawmakers. Whereas past elections have drawn little international attention, Tuesday’s vote is making global headlines, as Trump has repeatedly called for U.S. ownership and control of the mineral-rich island, which has been a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark for decades.

In a final debate late Monday, the leaders of all five parties in Greenland’s current parliament agreed that they do not trust the U.S. president. Trump’s threats—as well as growing pride among Greenland’s Indigenous Inuit people—have brought talks of independence to center stage.

“This is our independence election,” said Qunanuk Olsen, a candidate with the opposition Naleraq party.

Trump has suggested purchasing Greenland or potentially using military force to acquire the territory. But Greenlandic Prime Minister Mute Egede stressed on Monday that the island is not for sale, dismissing Trump’s offers as disrespectful.

Hijacking in Pakistan. The separatist Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) hijacked a train in Pakistan on Tuesday, taking hostage 182 people, including security personnel. A U.S. official put that number closer to 450 people. The train was en route to the city of Peshawar when armed militants blew up the tracks and trapped it in a tunnel. The militants have killed at least 10 of the hostages, but at least 104 passengers, mostly women and children, have made it safely to the nearest station. The other passengers’ fates are unclear.

At time of writing, the BLA remained in a tense standoff with the Pakistan Air Force, and at least 13 militants had been killed by security forces.

“If military intervention continues, all hostages will be executed,” the separatist group warned in a statement. Local officials have sent more trains to the area to rescue the commuters, but rough terrain has hampered their efforts. “The beasts who fire on innocent passengers do not deserve any concessions,” Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said.

The BLA has long sought for independent control of Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province, which borders Afghanistan. The group has repeatedly targeted Punjabi travelers, Chinese infrastructure workers, and other civilians in a string of high-profile terrorist attacks.

Odds and Ends

Everybody’s a critic—even the performers. A London comedy club announced last week that audience members with too many Botox injections in their faces will not be allowed to attend shows, as their unresponsive features make it difficult for comedians to judge their reactions. “Comedy thrives on connection, and facial expressions play a huge part,” owner Mark Rothman said. All crowd members will now receive facial inspections at the front door to make sure that they can smile, frown, and laugh to their hearts’ content.

The post Ukraine Agrees to U.S.-Led Cease-Fire Proposal appeared first on Foreign Policy.