The US and Ukraine have agreed on a deal for a ceasefire plan, with Vladimir Putin now being urged to accept the terms.
A plan was struck at a meeting in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, which came less than two weeks after a bad-tempered clash between presidents Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky.
But after the Ukrainian president was asked to leave the White House, the tone from the US has changed.
US secretary of state Marco Rubio said: “Today we made an offer that the Ukrainians have accepted, which is to enter into a ceasefire and into immediate negotiations.”
Britain has echoed the call for Mr Putin to accept a ceasefire immediately.
Treasury minister James Murray, on the media round for the Government, hailed the “remarkable breakthrough” in the US-Ukraine talks to move towards a peace plan and also stressed “the ball is now in Russia’s court”.
Here is what it all means.
What is in the deal?
Ukraine and the US have agreed to a 30-day ceasefire plan, which the Trump administration is now going to put to Russian president Mr Putin.
Mr Zelensky’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak struck out the deal with Mr Rubio over an eight-hour meeting on Tuesday.
The ceasefire would be an immediate end to fighting across the entire frontline for a 30-day period which can be extended by mutual agreement.
Among the terms put forward by Ukraine were for the stopping of missiles and sea offensives, release of prisoners and return of children who were moved to Russia.
The deal has seen Ukraine agree to sign a rare earth minerals deal. In return, the US has agreed to lift its suspension of military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine - which will allow it to once more have information on Russian positions.
The meeting is just an initial step but shows that Ukraine has made the first move towards securing an end to the war, which has raged since February 2022.
Mr Zelensky said: “Ukraine is ready for peace. Russia must show its readiness to end the war or continue the war. It is time for the full truth.”
However, the ceasefire will only happen if Russia agrees to the terms.
Ukrainians are sceptical about the prospect of peace with fighting still raging, and the news came as Russia launched a missile attack on the central city of Kryvyi Rih.
Mr Trump appears more optimistic and said that talks will commence on Wednesday.
The US president said: “That’s a total ceasefire. Ukraine has agreed to it. And hopefully Russia will agree to it. We have a big meeting with Russia tomorrow, and some great conversations hopefully will ensue.”
Russia’s own position remains to be seen but the Kremlin’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview published on Wednesday that Moscow would avoid compromises that would jeopardise people’s lives.
Mr Putin has said he is open to discussing a peace deal but ruled out territorial concessions, which is a key demand for Kyiv.
