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In a convention room on the Ritz-Carlton resort within the metropolis of Jeddah, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Michael Waltz, the U.S. nationwide safety adviser, sat down with a delegation from Kyiv led by Andriy Yermak, the Ukrainian president’s chief of workers, International Minister Andrii Sybiha and Protection Minister Rustem Umerov.

“We wish to have very constructive, deep, pleasant, accomplice dialog,” Mr. Yermak mentioned earlier than the talks started.

Rising for a break after greater than two hours of talks, Mr. Waltz mentioned, “We’re getting there.” He didn’t present additional particulars.

Ukraine has proposed a direct cessation of air and sea strikes, however desires safety ensures earlier than its infantry lays down its arms. America is urgent for a direct, complete cease-fire. And Russia, which isn’t on the talks, has signaled that it desires concessions of its personal earlier than halting the struggle it began.

If the Ukrainian proposal to halt the air and sea strikes is agreed to, it will deliver in regards to the first negotiated discount within the combating in three years of struggle, however the Trump administration has made clear it’s searching for extra. Ukraine has supplied the unconditional truce on long-range strikes as a confidence constructing measure whereas persevering with talks on a extra complete cease-fire.

Mr. Rubio has mentioned that Ukraine must make concessions over land that Russia has taken since 2014 as a part of any peace settlement.

“Crucial factor that we’ve got to depart right here with is a powerful sense that Ukraine is ready to do troublesome issues, just like the Russians are going to should do troublesome issues, to finish this battle or ultimately pause it indirectly,” Mr. Rubio instructed reporters on Monday.

Mr. Yermak, the Ukrainian president’s chief of workers, mentioned Tuesday earlier than the talks obtained underway that his delegation was “very open” to any dialogue that may deliver a settlement, however famous the significance of safety ensures — a difficulty that has grow to be contentious with the US.

These are the primary high-level, in-person talks for the US and Ukraine since a Feb. 28 White Home assembly between President Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine unraveled into an argument and insults.

Since then, Mr. Zelensky has sought to easy relations with Mr. Trump, and Ukrainian officers have been cautious in framing their proposal. Over the weekend, French and British officers coached the Ukrainian delegation on how one can speak with the Individuals, a Ukrainian official with the delegation mentioned.

Ukraine favors a truce at sea and within the air, mentioned the official, who was not approved to talk publicly of the delegation’s plans, however might pose the thought tentatively. “We don’t know if the Russians are prepared for any steps to peace” the official mentioned, including that the Ukrainians would ask if the Individuals had perception into Moscow’s place.

The Kremlin’s spokesman, Dmitri S. Peskov, mentioned Tuesday that it was “not possible to speak about positions now” and that Russia anticipated the American facet to tell Moscow in regards to the outcomes of talks with Ukraine. Mr. Trump’s particular envoy to the Center East, Steve Witkoff, plans to go to Russia within the coming days, in keeping with two folks aware of the matter, who requested anonymity to debate inner plans.

Mr. Zelensky proposed the partial cease-fire final week, with assist from President Emmanuel Macron of France. Russia has indirectly responded. Ukraine’s president has additionally referred to as for an all-for-all trade of prisoners of struggle, a conventional confidence-building measure in peace talks.

The proposals that Ukraine is bringing to Jeddah are its most detailed to this point. In return, it’s looking for one quick motion from the US: a resumption of American army assist and intelligence sharing that was suspended after the Oval Workplace debacle.

The intelligence cutoff has already impaired troopers in fight, notably within the Kursk area of Russia, the place Russian troopers, aided by fighters from North Korea, have been quickly advancing, in keeping with Ukrainian commanders within the subject.

The image seems considerably completely different of late in jap Ukraine, the place Kyiv’s forces have stalled a Russian offensive and received again small patches of land. Because the starting of the month, Russia has captured solely 5 sq. miles of Ukrainian territory.

Mr. Rubio declined to stipulate a possible settlement however made clear that concessions might be vital. He mentioned it will be vital to study what Russia is keen to concede. “We don’t understand how far aside they really are,” he mentioned.

“I believe either side want to come back to an understanding that there’s no army answer to this case,” Mr. Rubio mentioned.

It’s unclear whether or not the supply of an aerial and maritime truce, maybe accompanied by an settlement to share revenues from Ukraine’s mineral mining with the US, can be ample for Mr. Trump to renew intelligence sharing and restart weapons shipments.

Mr. Trump has pushed for the warring sides to cease combating as quickly as potential, with out first negotiating phrases that may embrace mechanisms to safeguard the peace. On the Oval Workplace assembly, he argued {that a} cease-fire may very well be achieved extra swiftly than a peace settlement, and that Russia’s president, Vladimir V. Putin, would maintain his phrase.

Russia violated two earlier cease-fires, reached in 2014 and 2015, and denied an intention to invade simply days earlier than invading in 2022.

In an interview on Fox Information’s “Sunday Morning Futures,” Mr. Trump reiterated that he thought that Mr. Zelensky was not grateful for American army assist.

Mr. Trump additionally mentioned that he additionally noticed “some weak point” with Russia that may facilitate talks. “, it takes two,” he mentioned.

Russia has publicly referred to as for situations to be imposed earlier than a cease-fire takes impact, and Mr. Putin has signaled that he desires to safe a raft of concessions from Ukraine and the West.

Analysts imagine that past looking for to maintain the territory Russia has captured up to now and claiming further land, Mr. Putin will demand a assure that Ukraine not be a part of NATO, a retreat by the Western alliance from Central and Jap Europe and limits to the scale and firepower of Ukraine’s army.

“We should select for ourselves a model of peace that may go well with us and that may guarantee calm for our nation within the long-term historic perspective,” Mr. Putin mentioned on Thursday.

Russia can also be urgent for Ukraine to carry presidential elections, arguing that Mr. Zelensky’s rule is illegitimate. Ukrainian elections scheduled for the spring of 2024 have been suspended due to the struggle.

For Ukraine, the talks pose the dispiriting problem of adapting to an ally that’s now adopting positions of its enemy. Each Russia and the Trump administration have questioned Mr. Zelensky’s legitimacy and accused Ukraine of beginning the struggle.

America has additionally supplied no assist for a task for European peacekeepers in Ukraine beneath a cease-fire — a prospect prime army officers have been discussing in Paris on Tuesday because the talks in Jeddah have been ongoing.

Ukraine’s broader objectives within the talks with the US are to gradual the fallout on its struggle effort from America’s geopolitical pivot to Russia beneath Mr. Trump. Which may purchase time for European states to ramp up assist, analysts and former Ukrainian officers mentioned.

Ukraine is unlikely to bend on its insistence that there be an enforcement mechanism for any cease-fire, mentioned Andriy Zagorodnyuk, a former Ukrainian protection minister. Russia has higher potential to rebuild its military over any pause within the combating, he mentioned.

“If we’ve got nothing, and Russia is pumping up their forces, in a single 12 months they are going to be able to strike once more,” Mr. Zagorodnyuk mentioned in a phone interview.

Reporting was contributed by Marc Santora from Kyiv, Ukraine, Anton Troianovski from Berlin, Ivan Nechepurenko from Tbilisi, Georgia, Maggie Haberman from Washington and Aurelien Breeden from Paris and Adam Rasgon from Jerusalem.