Image source, Reuters

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has thanked Donald Trump for "the constructiveness of our teams' conversation" today in Jeddah.

In a video online, Zelensky reiterates that the Ukrainian position is to accept today's US proposal of a ceasefire in the sky, sea and on the front line.

He says they "consider it positive" and now "it is up to the United States" to convince Russia to agree.

An important part of the conversation today was the American agreement to resume intelligence sharing with Ukraine, Zelensky says.

"Ukraine is ready for peace."

He adds: "Russia must show its willingness to stop the war or continue the war. It is time for the full truth. I thank everyone who is helping Ukraine."

That was a busy few minutes as we heard that the US-Ukraine talks in Saudi Arabia had ended with Kyiv agreeing to back an immediate ceasefire with Russia.

Here's what you need to know:

• A joint statement has been released saying Ukraine is ready to accept a US proposal to enact an immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire with Russia - and for negotiations to begin to end the war
• US Secretary of State Marco Rubio - who's been key to the talks in Jeddah - told reporters "the ball is in the [Russians'] court', and he will take the offer to Moscow
• He said he hopes the Russians will agree to the ceasefire, but if they don't "we'll unfortunately know what the impediment is to peace here"
• Clarifying some details about the proposed ceasefire, Rubio said "the offer is to stop the shooting" - going beyond Zelensky's proposal for a partial truce in the sea and sky
• "Today people will die in this war, they died yesterday and - sadly - unless there's a ceasefire, they will die tomorrow," Rubio said, adding repeatedly that US President Donald Trump wants to put an end to the war in Ukraine

We'll have some analysis from our correspondents coming to you shortly. Stick with us.

President Volodymyr Zelensky's top aide, Andriy Yermak - who was part of the Ukrainian delegation in Saudi Arabia - has shared a short update.

Posting on X, he says protecting Kyiv's interest is the "most important thing", while a "just peace" is "key".

He thanks the US and Saudi officials for a "constructive meeting".

After a short press briefing, we have now finished hearing from the US delegates in Saudi Arabia following peace talks with Ukraine today.

We'll bring you analysis and more on what you might have missed shortly.

Next up, a reporter asks Rubio whether Trump and Zelensky's relationship is "back on track" - to which he responds that he hopes it's "peace" that is back on track.

This is "serious stuff", he says, adding "this is not Mean Girls, this is not some episode of some television show".

"Today people will die in this war, they died yesterday and - sadly - unless there's a ceasefire, they will die tomorrow," Rubio goes on.

He says Trump wants that to end which is why these talks have been taking place.

Rubio and Waltz are asked why a rare minerals deal wasn't signed today.

Rubio says the deal wasn't the subject of the talks today.

He says the deal was negotiated with Ukrainian and US treasuries, but adds: "Our respective presidents have instructed the appropriate members of their governments to bring this to finality and to conclusion."

Image source, Reuters

Another question for the US secretary of state now.

Marco Rubio is asked if they are accepting any good-will gestures from Russia or if there is a deadline.

Rubio says "Ukraine is ready to stop shooting and start talking."

He reiterates that he hopes Russia will say yes to the ceasefire, but if they say no "then we'll unfortunately know what the impediment is to peace here".

The president has been clear that he wants the shooting and dying to stop, Rubio says.

Asked again about the deadline, Rubio says they hope to do it "as soon as possible".

Image source, Reuters

Rubio and Waltz are now being asked questions by reporters.

The first clarifies some details about the ceasefire, with the reporter checking whether the US offer is for a "complete ceasefire across the frontline, not just the aerial and maritime ceasefire the Ukrainians proposed".

To this, Rubio says simply "yes" - "the offer is to stop the shooting".

He says the only way for this war to end is through negotiation - and for that to happen, the "shooting" must stop.

National Security Adviser Mike Waltz is up now, and says the meeting got into details on how this war will end permanently and what type of guarantees they will have for long-term security.

He says he'll talk to his Russian counterpart in the coming days, and Secretary Rubio will be with the G7 foreign ministers.

They'll take the process forward from there, he adds.

More from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio now.

He says they will "take this offer now to the Russians" and they "hope" they will say yes.

"The ball is in their court," Rubio adds, and tells reporters that President Trump wants the war to end.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is speaking to reporters following talks with a Ukrainian delegation during a visit to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

He says the US has made an offer, which the Ukrainians have accepted, "to enter into a ceasefire and enter into negotiations to end this conflict in a way that is enduring and sustainable"

More now on the joint statement from US and Ukraine, shared moments ago by the US state department.

Ukraine says it is ready to accept the US proposal to enact an immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire after today's peace talks, it reads.

The proposed ceasefire will be extendable by mutual agreement of both parties, and is subject to acceptance and implementation by Russia, the statement adds.

The United States "will immediately lift the pause on intelligence sharing and resume security assistance to Ukraine", a joint statement from the US and Ukraine, shared by the US state department, says.

We'll bring you more on this shortly - stay with us.

Image source, Reuters

In addition to the action in Saudi, we're keeping an ear across the daily White House press briefing, during which Donald Trump's Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt takes questions from reporters.

She's just had one on the US-Ukraine talks about ending the war with Russia.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is negotiating with the Ukrainians in Jeddah and is due to give us an update "soon", Leavitt says, as we reported earlier.

She says she doesn't have much else to say, other than the news the White House is receiving from those talks is "positive".

Rubio, she adds, will give a full update when the meeting has concluded. We're watching and waiting for this statement - stay with us.

Vitaliy Shevchenko
Russia editor, BBC Monitoring

An update now from the ground in Ukraine.

Six people, including two children, have been killed in Russian attacks in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, the local authorities say.

Two brothers, aged 11 and 13, died as Russia shelled the village of Rivne. Another boy, aged 14, was wounded, the regional administration chief Vadym Filashkin says.

According to him, the two brothers had been evacuated to Dnipropetrovsk region, but later returned to Donetsk region with their families.

Elsewhere in the region, three people were killed and three wounded in the town of Siversk, Filashkin says in an update on social media.

He also says that Russian drones attacked two civilian cars travelling between Pokrovsk and Rodynske, killing one person and injuring two.

Vitaliy Shevchenko
Russia editor, BBC Monitoring

The Russian Foreign Ministry says the Ukrainian drone attack against Moscow region last night shows Ukraine has rejected diplomatic means of ending the war.

“There is no doubt that the drone attack had been planned beforehand and was timed to coincide with today’s US-Ukrainian talks in Saudi Arabia on settling the conflict,” the foreign ministry says in a statement.

“This was also a message of sorts to the new OSCE secretary-general Feridun Sinirlioglu who is on a working visit to Moscow.”

“The Zelensky regime has shown a total lack of political will towards peace and settling the conflict via diplomatic means,” it says.

Image source, Getty Images

While we wait for the statement from the US delegation in Saudi Arabia to begin, let's turn to an update from State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce - who's also there.

While marvelling at the "magnificent lobby" of the Ritz Carlton in Jeddah, Bruce says in a video on X that it's an "exciting day".

"A day that could mean a lot for all people around the world when it comes to what's important," she adds.

"So other fantastic news with humanity might emerge, so we are very optimistic. I know the secretary [Rubio] is, because we know what's at stake."

We are expecting to hear shortly from the US delegation in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

They have been locked in talks with Ukrainian officials for hours.

We'll bring you the key lines here - stay with us. Follow along by tapping the watch live icon at the top of the page.

Image source, Reuters

As reported in our previous post, defence leaders from around 30 countries are meeting in Paris to draw up plans for a "coalition of the willing" - announced by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer after a leaders' summit in London earlier this month.

What's it for? To uphold any ceasefire in Ukraine and deter Russia from further invading in the event of a peace deal.

What will it involve? The UK and France have said they would be willing to send peacekeeping troops to Ukraine if and when the war ends. UK officials have said about 20 countries are interested, although not every nation would necessarily send troops.

Who's in? There is no specific number as yet. However, the group is believed to consist of European and Commonwealth nations.

What's Russia's take? Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said such a move "can't be allowed" because it would amount to the "direct, official and unveiled involvement of Nato members in the war against Russia".

Military chiefs from around 30 countries have just sat down together for talks in Paris.

Hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron, they will begin preparing a blueprint for a "coalition of the willing".

Image source, EPA

Image source, EPA