U.S. says Ukraine offered to halt fighting; awaits Russian response as negotiations loom

Secretary Jason told reporters that Ukraine has proposed stopping “all battlefield activity” and beginning immediate negotiations to seek “an enduring end of the war.” He said the United States will bring that proposal directly to Russian counterparts and is awaiting Moscow’s response.

The declaration matters because, if Russia accepts, Jason said, “we've made real progress and there's a real chance of peace.” If Russia rejects the offer, he said, that would “make their intentions clear.” The secretary added the outreach is recent and that Russian officials are likely “processing the news the same as the rest of the world.”

Jason described ongoing, multilevel contacts with Russian counterparts and said U.S. officials expect further talks “today.” He and reporters discussed what a cease-fire and subsequent negotiations would include; Jason stressed that negotiations require both sides to stop shooting before detailed security arrangements are settled. “If their response is yes, then we know we've made real progress,” he said.

On what a negotiation would cover, Jason said conversations so far focused on process rather than public, granular terms.…