Volodymyr Zelensky has agreed to further peace talks with Donald Trump's administration after the US halted weapons deliveries and cut intelligence sharing.
The pressure tactics appear to have worked, bringing Ukraine to the negotiating table following the suspension of crucial US support.
The Ukrainian president's chief of staff spoke with Mike Waltz, the US national security adviser, to discuss "the next steps towards a just and lasting peace" in a call today.
Andriy Yermak said that he "exchanged views [with Waltz] on security issues and the alignment of positions" and scheduled further US-Ukraine talks.
Waltz had said earlier that the US would only lift the ban on weapons and intelligence sharing if they could "nail down negotiations".
The intelligence-sharing blackout emerged on Wednesday, a day after the US suspended all military aid to Ukraine.
The decision prompted Zelensky to publicly commit to negotiations "as soon as possible".
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
CIA Director John Ratcliffe confirmed the intelligence-sharing suspension on Wednesday, saying it would "go away" once peace talks progress.
Trump said he received a letter from Zelensky expressing willingness to come to the negotiating table.
"I think we'll work shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine as we have," Ratcliffe told Fox News.
Waltz also told Fox that the President would consider restoring assistance to Kyiv if peace talks are arranged and confidence-building measures taken.
A source familiar with the situation said the Trump administration had halted "everything", including targeting data used to strike Russian targets.
The intelligence-sharing is believed to be a crucial component of Ukraine's ability to defend itself against Russian missiles and launch long-range strikes.
Experts warn the suspension would severely impact Ukraine's capability to strike Russian forces occupying about 20 per cent of the country's territory.
"We will have less time to react, more destruction, potentially more casualties," Mykola Bielieskov, a research fellow at Ukraine's National Institute for Strategic Studies, said.
The signing of a Ukraine-US minerals deal is expected to be the first step in a longer negotiation process between Kyiv, Washington and Moscow on ending the three-year war.
In his address to Congress, Trump said Kyiv was ready to sign a deal on Ukraine's critical mineral deposits.
European countries are scrambling to boost defence spending and maintain support for Ukraine amid the US policy shift.
France and Britain are working to finalise a peace plan to present to the US, with diplomats suggesting it could be ready within days.
Trump has upended US policy in less than two months in office, ending Putin's isolation through direct communication.
He has stated it's "time to end this senseless war" and claims to have received signals that Russia is ready for peace.
"If you want to end wars, you have to talk to both sides," Trump said.
Find Out More...
The pressure tactics appear to have worked, bringing Ukraine to the negotiating table following the suspension of crucial US support.
The Ukrainian president's chief of staff spoke with Mike Waltz, the US national security adviser, to discuss "the next steps towards a just and lasting peace" in a call today.
Andriy Yermak said that he "exchanged views [with Waltz] on security issues and the alignment of positions" and scheduled further US-Ukraine talks.
Waltz had said earlier that the US would only lift the ban on weapons and intelligence sharing if they could "nail down negotiations".
The intelligence-sharing blackout emerged on Wednesday, a day after the US suspended all military aid to Ukraine.
The decision prompted Zelensky to publicly commit to negotiations "as soon as possible".
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CIA Director John Ratcliffe confirmed the intelligence-sharing suspension on Wednesday, saying it would "go away" once peace talks progress.
Trump said he received a letter from Zelensky expressing willingness to come to the negotiating table.
"I think we'll work shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine as we have," Ratcliffe told Fox News.
Waltz also told Fox that the President would consider restoring assistance to Kyiv if peace talks are arranged and confidence-building measures taken.
A source familiar with the situation said the Trump administration had halted "everything", including targeting data used to strike Russian targets.
The intelligence-sharing is believed to be a crucial component of Ukraine's ability to defend itself against Russian missiles and launch long-range strikes.
Experts warn the suspension would severely impact Ukraine's capability to strike Russian forces occupying about 20 per cent of the country's territory.
"We will have less time to react, more destruction, potentially more casualties," Mykola Bielieskov, a research fellow at Ukraine's National Institute for Strategic Studies, said.
The signing of a Ukraine-US minerals deal is expected to be the first step in a longer negotiation process between Kyiv, Washington and Moscow on ending the three-year war.
In his address to Congress, Trump said Kyiv was ready to sign a deal on Ukraine's critical mineral deposits.
European countries are scrambling to boost defence spending and maintain support for Ukraine amid the US policy shift.
France and Britain are working to finalise a peace plan to present to the US, with diplomats suggesting it could be ready within days.
Trump has upended US policy in less than two months in office, ending Putin's isolation through direct communication.
He has stated it's "time to end this senseless war" and claims to have received signals that Russia is ready for peace.
"If you want to end wars, you have to talk to both sides," Trump said.
Find Out More...