After 7 Hours of Negotiations, Russia Now Holds 'the Key'

Will a 30-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine come to pass? "The key is in Moscow's hands," is how the head of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's office put it, reports ABC News. Some seven hours of negotiations on Tuesday between Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and their Ukrainian counterparts in Saudi Arabia ended with "both sides agreeing in principle to a monthlong ceasefire," as NBC News puts it—but both sides doesn't include Russia. A Kremlin rep said "we are carefully studying the statements," and indicated it was waiting for the US to reach out to schedule a possible phone call between President Trump and Vladimir Putin. More:

• Rubio's take: While in transit back to DC, Rubio told reporters Wednesday, "We're going to bring it to them [Russia] directly. ... If their response is 'yes,' then we know we've made real progress, and there's a real chance of peace. If their response is 'no', it will be highly unfortunate, and then it'll make their intentions clear."
• A softening? The New York Times notes that Putin "emphatically rejected the idea of a temporary cease-fire" as recently as two months ago. But with Trump's new term turning US-Russia relations on their head, "the Kremlin now appears keen at least to entertain" the proposal. Still, the Times sees the proposal as a thorny development for Putin. "It deepens the tension between his desires for a far-reaching victory in Ukraine and for close ties with Mr. Trump."
• Trump's take: ABC News reports the president told reporters on Wednesday, "If we can get Russia to do it, that'll be great. If we can't, we just keep going on and people are going to get killed. Lots of people. ... I hope it'll be over the next few days. I'd like to see. I know we have a big meeting with Russia tomorrow, and some great conversations hopefully will ensue."
• NBC News' take: "Even if Putin were to agree to this interim détente, there remains a gulf between the positions of Russia and Ukraine, which wants security guarantees before signing a ceasefire with a giant neighbor that has violated past agreements."
• What Russia wants: In terms of that gulf, Putin has long indicated he won't end the fighting unless he gets what he wants—specifically, assurances that Ukraine will not join NATO, and that NATO will curtail its presence in Central and Eastern Europe, per the Times.

(More Russia-Ukraine war stories.)