Ukraine and the US have announced they have reached a vital minerals deal following months of sometimes fraught negotiations.
In Washington on Wednesday, the two countries said they signed an agreement on a joint fund to invest in Ukraine's reconstruction, with a draft saying Washington would get preferential access to new Ukrainian natural resources deals.
“In recognition of the significant financial and material support that the people of the United States have provided to the defense of Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion, this economic partnership positions our two countries to ... accelerate Ukraine's economic recovery," the US Treasury Department said.
Meanwhile, Ukraine's top military commander Oleksandr Syrskyi has said Russian forces have significantly increased the intensity of their fighting in eastern Ukraine just when president Vladimir Putin is publicly talking about wanting a ceasefire.
On Monday, the Russian president offered a temporary 72-hour ceasefire from 8-10 May to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Soviet Union and allies in the Second World War.
Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky says such limited truces are meaningless, and urged Mr Putin to agree to an immediate ceasefire lasting at least 30 days.
At least three people were killed and 70 injured in Russian attacks across Ukraine over the past day, authorities say.
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Key Points
- Ukraine and US announce they have reached vital minerals deal
- Putin's soldiers fighting more intensely despite ceasefire talk, says Ukrainian commander
- Children and pregnant woman among 45 injured in massive drone attack on Kharkiv
- Putin open to Ukraine peace but not as fast as US wants, Kremlin says
US won't abandon peace talks, says Trump's special envoy
04:16
,
Arpan Rai
The US will not walk away from peace efforts between Ukraine and Russia despite growing frustration among president Donald Trump’s team, his special envoy Keith Kellogg said.
On being asked in an interview with Fox News if the US is ready to walk away from peace talks to end Russia’s war against Ukraine, Mr Kellogg said: “I don’t think so.”
The US secretary of state Marco Rubio has repeatedly warned that the US will walk away from a ceasefire deal between Ukraine and Russia if either side doesn't allow progress.
He also noted that the Ukrainian side has shown willingness to meet halfway on a ceasefire deal with Russia, including de facto giving up territory to end the war.
"The Ukrainians have already said they're willing to give up the land... not de jure, forever, but de facto because the Russians actually occupy it... That's what they're willing to go to, they told me that last week," he said.
Canada PM Carney calls Zelensky to pledge support for Ukraine
04:04
,
Arpan Rai
Canadian prime minister Mark Carney spoke with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and underscored Canada's commitment to supporting Ukraine in achieving lasting peace and security, Mr Carney's office said.
Mr Zelensky congratulated the newly elected Canadian prime minister on his victory in Monday's vote, and the two leaders agreed that a durable peace can only be achieved with Ukraine at the table, the Canadian prime minister's office said in a statement.
I spoke with Canada’s Prime Minister @MarkJCarney and personally congratulated him and the Liberal Party on their victory in Canada’s federal elections.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) April 30, 2025
I informed him about the aftermath of Russian strikes on Ukraine. Strengthening our air defense remains a top priority. As… pic.twitter.com/6ufZ1psNGR
China approved use of mercenaries in Russia, US politicians say
03:00
,
Jane Dalton
US politicians have asked the State Department for details of Russia's use of Chinese fighters in its war in Ukraine, saying in a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Moscow could employ Chinese mercenaries only with Beijing's "tacit approval".
Ukraine said earlier this month that its forces had captured two Chinese men in eastern Ukraine and that at least 155 Chinese nationals were fighting on the Russian side.
US China hawks want Trump to get tough on China
02:00
,
Jane Dalton
A letter to US secretary of State Marco Rubio, sent by the House of Representatives' select committee on China, reflects a growing desire among China hawks in Congress for the Trump administration to pressure China over its alignment with Russia.
The Republican chair of the committee, John Moolenaar, and its top Democratic Representative, Raja Krishnamoorthi, said the presence of Chinese fighters in Ukraine showed those deepening ties.
They asked the State Department to outline for Congress whether the US has confronted Beijing about the developments and what actions it was pursuing to address it.
China, which has declared a "no-limits" partnership with Russia, says it always asks Chinese nationals to "avoid any form of involvement in armed conflict, and in particular avoid participation in any party's military operations".
Mr Krishnamoorthi told Reuters the Trump administration "must demand that the PRC immediately remove its citizens from the battlefield in Ukraine and take action to hold Beijing accountable for its broader military and dual-use support" for the war.
What do both sides want from a minerals deal
01:00
,
Tara Cobham
The US is seeking access to more than 20 raw materials deemed strategically critical to its interests, including some non-minerals such as oil and natural gas.
Among them are Ukraine's deposits of titanium, which is used for making aircraft wings and other aerospace manufacturing, and uranium, which is used for nuclear power, medical equipment and weapons.
Ukraine also has lithium, graphite and manganese, which are used in electric vehicle batteries.
For Ukraine, the deal is seen as possibly key in getting future military aid from the US.
Trump and Zelensky meeting 'indicative' of efforts to achieve peace, says Lammy
Thursday 1 May 2025 00:02
,
Tara Cobham
Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky meeting at Pope Francis's funeral was "indicative" of the "effort" being put in to secure a peace deal for Ukraine, David Lammy has said.
The US and Ukrainian presidents were pictured in discussion at the Vatican over the weekend, having both travelled to Rome for the service.
The Foreign Secretary told the House of Lords International Relations and Defence Committee on Wednesday that Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron have done "a lot of the heavy lifting" in terms of trying to bring nations together to support any potential future agreement.
Ukraine's PM hails 'equal' minerals deal reached with US
Thursday 1 May 2025 00:00
,
Tara Cobham
Ukraine’s prime minister has hailed the minerals deal reached with the US as “equal and good”.
Denys Shmyhal said: "Truly, this is a strategic deal for the creation of an investment partner fund.
"This is truly an equal and good international deal on joint investment in the development and restoration of Ukraine between the governments of the United States and Ukraine."
Bessent describes deal as allowing US 'to unlock Ukraine's growth assets'
Wednesday 30 April 2025 23:56
,
Tara Cobham
Treasury secretary Scott Bessent said in a video posted to X that "this partnership allows the United States to invest alongside Ukraine, to unlock Ukraine's growth assets, mobilise American talent, capital and governance standards that will improve Ukraine's investment climate and accelerate Ukraine's economic recovery".
Thanks to @POTUS @realDonaldTrump’s tireless efforts to secure a lasting peace, I am glad to announce the signing of today’s historic economic partnership agreement between the United States and Ukraine establishing the United States-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund to help… pic.twitter.com/N1jPa35DYh
— Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (@SecScottBessent) April 30, 2025
Russian drones damage dwellings and infrastructure in Ukraine's Odesa
Wednesday 30 April 2025 23:41
,
Tara Cobham
Russian drones attacked Ukraine's Black Sea port of Odesa early on Thursday, sparking fires and damaging dwellings and infrastructure, the regional governor said.
There was no immediate word on casualties.
"The enemy is attacking Odesa with strike drones. There is considerable damage to civilian infrastructure, particularly dwellings," Oleh Kiper wrote on the Telegram messaging app. "Fires have broken out in a number of places."
Pictures posted online showed heavy damage to the facades of buildings.
In Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city in the northeast, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said a drone had struck a petrol station in the city centre, triggering a fire.
Terekhov provided no further details.
When is the deal set to take effect
Wednesday 30 April 2025 23:39
,
Tara Cobham
The Ukrainian Cabinet approved the agreement on Wednesday, empowering Ukraine's economy minister Yulia Svyrydenko to sign it in Washington.
Once signed by both sides, the deal would need to be ratified by the Ukrainian Parliament before it could take effect.
Ukraine and US announce they have reached vital minerals deal
Wednesday 30 April 2025 23:18
,
Tara Cobham
Ukraine and the US said on Wednesday they signed an agreement on a joint fund to invest in Ukraine's reconstruction, and a draft of the deal said it would give Washington preferential access to new Ukrainian natural resources deals.
The two countries signed the accord in Washington after months of sometimes fraught negotiations, with uncertainty persisting until the last-moment with word of an eleventh-hour snag.
"In recognition of the significant financial and material support that the people of the United States have provided to the defense of Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion, this economic partnership positions our two countries to ... accelerate Ukraine's economic recovery," the US Treasury Department said.
A draft of the minerals agreement seen by Reuters gave the US preferential access to new Ukrainian natural resources deals but did not automatically hand Washington a share of Ukraine's mineral wealth or any of its gas infrastructure.
It provided for creation of a joint US-Ukrainian fund for reconstruction which will receive 50 per cent of profits and royalties accruing to the Ukrainian state from new natural resources permits in Ukraine.
Watch: How Rubio spoke up for America's need to defend Ukraine
Wednesday 30 April 2025 23:15
,
Jane Dalton
The draft minerals deal between Ukraine and the US addresses the key issue of Ukraine’s security by references to the Budapest Memorandum, the 1994 documents signed by China, Russia, Ukraine, the US and UK.
It guaranteed Ukraine’s security when it gave up its vast nuclear arsenal.
In a 2014 speech, Marco Rubio, now US secretary of state, spoke passionately about America’s moral imperative to defend Ukraine against aggression after the nation gave up up its nuclear stockpile:
US and Ukraine sign deal to form reconstruction investment fund, Washington says
Wednesday 30 April 2025 23:14
,
Tara Cobham
The US and Ukraine signed a deal on Wednesday to establish a reconstruction investment fund, the US Treasury Department has said in a statement.
"In recognition of the significant financial and material support that the people of the United States have provided to the defense of Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion, this economic partnership positions our two countries to work collaboratively and invest together to ensure that our mutual assets, talents, and capabilities can accelerate Ukraine's economic recovery," the Treasury Department said.
Senior Ukrainian official signs agreement on US-Ukraine Reconstruction Fund
Wednesday 30 April 2025 23:11
A senior Ukrainian official said on Wednesday that she had signed an agreement on creating a US-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund, which would allow both countries to expand their economic potential and also contribute to Ukraine's security.
"Together with the United States, we are creating the Fund that will attract global investment into our country," First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko wrote on X.
"Its implementation allows both countries to expand their economic potential through equal cooperation and investment," she wrote. "The United States will contribute to the fund. In addition to direct financial contributions, it may also provide NEW assistance – for example air defense systems for Ukraine."
On behalf of the Government of Ukraine, I signed the Agreement on the Establishment of a United States–Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund.
— Yulia Svyrydenko (@Svyrydenko_Y) April 30, 2025
Together with the United States, we are creating the Fund that will attract global investment into our country. pic.twitter.com/8ryyAMqW83
Full story: Trump administration signs minerals deal with Ukraine in key move for Russian peace
Wednesday 30 April 2025 23:01
The Trump administration reached a deal with Ukraine to give US investors preferential access to Ukraine’s supply of rare earth minerals on Wednesday, weeks after an Oval Office blow-up between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky put it on hold.
Axios and Bloomberg reported the deal was to be signed on Wednesday, citing senior Ukrainian officials.
Zelensky’s deputy economy minister told Axios that the deal was meant to spur further US investment in Ukraine’s defense, rather than to repay past support.
My colleague John Bowden has the full story:
US and Ukraine sign vital minerals deal to create investment fund
Wednesday 30 April 2025 22:55
,
Tara Cobham
The US and Ukraine have signed an economic agreement to “unlock Ukraine’s growth assets” to establish a reconstruction investment fund, the US treasury department has said.
Wednesday’s deal over access to Ukraine’s natural resources will provide the US privileged access to new investment projects to develop Ukraine's natural resources, including aluminum, graphite, oil and natural gas, Bloomberg reported.
'Nearly 4,700' North Korean troops killed or injured fighting for Putin
Wednesday 30 April 2025 22:15
,
Jane Dalton
In case you missed it:
EU prepares for Trump to quit peace talks
Wednesday 30 April 2025 21:15
,
Jane Dalton
The European Union is preparing a "plan B" on how to keep economic sanctions against Russia should the Trump administration abandon peace talks and seek rapprochement with Moscow, the EU's high representative for foreign and security policy, Kaja Kallas, has told the Financial Times.
"We see signs that they are contemplating whether they should leave Ukraine and not try to get a deal with the Russians because it’s hard," she told the FT.
"There is also a plan B but we have to work for plan A; because otherwise you concentrate on plan B and then that will happen," she told the newspaper, adding talks were continuing with Washington and other international partners to ensure the western sanctions regime was kept in place.
In pictures: Rally for PoWs and missing family members
Wednesday 30 April 2025 20:16
,
Jane Dalton
People in Kyiv held a rally in support of prisoners of war and missing persons, calling on authorities to locate and return their relatives from Russian captivity.
Kyiv wants last-minute changes to deal, US says
Wednesday 30 April 2025 19:30
,
Jane Dalton
Ukraine wants to make some last-minute changes to a minerals deal with the United States, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said, adding Washington was ready to sign it.
"We're sure that they will reconsider that," Mr Bessent said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.
Ukrainian fighters still hiding in Kursk, says Putin
Wednesday 30 April 2025 18:50
,
Jane Dalton
Russian President Vladimir Putin says small groups of Ukrainian soldiers are still holed up in basements and hideouts in Russia's western Kursk region.
Mr Putin earlier this week phoned his top commanders in Kursk to congratulate them on "victory" and the end of their operation to expel Ukrainian forces from the region after a Ukrainian force stormed across the border last August.
At an event in Moscow, the president said radio intercepts suggested that the few Ukrainians left behind were asking commanders to urgently evacuate them to safety.
Ukraine has said some of its forces are still inside Kursk and in Russia's nearby Belgorod region.
US and Ukraine to be 50-50 partners in deal Trump shift: full report
Wednesday 30 April 2025 18:18
,
Jane Dalton
Russia will mend relations with European nations, Putin claims
Wednesday 30 April 2025 17:54
,
Jane Dalton
Russian president Vladimir Putin has said he has no doubt that Moscow will sooner or later repair its relations with European countries.
At a forum in Moscow ahead of the 80th anniversary of the Second World War victory over Germany, Mr Putin said many in Europe shared Russia's position on certain issues.
Ukraine adds details to deal
Wednesday 30 April 2025 17:24
,
Jane Dalton
Ukraine has introduced new provisions to the minerals agreement, aiming to address earlier concerns that the initial US draft, presented in March, disproportionately favoured American interests.
One industry official close to the discussions said that more "details and not just declarations" were added to the text.
According to one Ukrainian official, several documents are involved, including a main agreement and at least two technical accords outlining the structure and operations of the joint fund.
The official said the Ukrainian side was generally satisfied with how the agreement had evolved following negotiations between both teams.
Another senior official expressed hope that there would be no further changes from Washington's side.
The deal will require ratification in the Ukrainian parliament.
Peace deal can't be achieved quickly, Moscow claims
Wednesday 30 April 2025 16:59
,
Jane Dalton
China approved use of mercenaries in Russia, US politicians say
Wednesday 30 April 2025 16:37
,
Jane Dalton
American politicians have asked the State Department to brief them about Russia's use of Chinese fighters in its war in Ukraine, saying in a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Moscow could employ Chinese mercenaries only with Beijing's "tacit approval".
Ukraine said earlier this month that its forces had captured two Chinese men in eastern Ukraine and that at least 155 Chinese nationals were fighting on the Russian side.
It released video of one of the men.
US officials described the men as mercenaries who do not appear to have a direct link to China's government.
Ukraine says two more deal documents not yet ready to sign
Wednesday 30 April 2025 16:21
,
Jane Dalton
The United States wants Ukraine to sign two additional documents together with their minerals deal, a source has told Reuters, while Kyiv thinks the two supplements need more work.
What Ukraine’s rare earth mineral are
Wednesday 30 April 2025 16:08
,
Jane Dalton
Ukrainian mineral deposits are worth more than £12 trillion:
US to have first choice on minerals permits but not gas, draft shows
Wednesday 30 April 2025 15:46
,
Jane Dalton
According to the draft deal, the US will get preferential - but not exclusive - access to new minerals permits, licences and investment opportunities in the field of Ukrainian natural resources. Existing deals are not covered.
Previous iterations of the deal during negotiations had said that it would include Ukrainian natural gas infrastructure, which is one of Ukraine's most valuable assets, sources with knowledge of the matter said earlier this month.
But gas infrastructure is not cover by the draft seen by Reuters.
Gaps in the draft deal
Wednesday 30 April 2025 15:36
,
Jane Dalton
A deal expected to be signed within 24 hours gives the United States preferential access to new Ukrainian natural resources deals, but does not automatically hand Washington a share of Ukraine's mineral wealth, according to a draft seen by Reuters.
The draft sets out the creation of a joint US-Ukrainian fund for reconstruction which will receive 50 per cent of profits and royalties accruing to the Ukrainian state from new natural resources permits in Ukraine.
It says that any future US military assistance to Ukraine will count towards the US contribution to the joint fund.
However, the draft does not spell out how the joint fund's revenues will be spent, who benefits or who controls decisions about the spending.
Minerals deal could be signed 24 hours after details agreed
Wednesday 30 April 2025 15:15
,
Jane Dalton
Ukraine and the United States could sign a minerals deal within the next 24 hours after the final details are worked out, Ukraine's prime minister has said.
The reworked agreement has become a "real partnership deal", which could consider future US aid as part of contributions to the fund, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said in televised remarks.
Minerals deal key to US military aid for Kyiv
Wednesday 30 April 2025 14:52
,
Jane Dalton
For Kyiv, a minerals deal with the US is seen as possibly key in getting future military aid from Washington.
Ukraine has deposits of titanium, which is used for making aircraft wings and other aerospace manufacturing.
It also has lithium, key to several current battery technologies, and uranium, used for nuclear power, medical equipment and weapons.
On top of that, it has graphite and manganese, both used in batteries for electric vehicles.
Talks had stalled earlier this year after a tense Oval Office meeting in February between the US and Ukrainian leaders.
Minerals deal will be signed, head of parliament confirms
Wednesday 30 April 2025 14:42
,
Sam Kiley
The head of Ukraine's parliament says he believes a draft mineral deal between the United States and his country will be signed in Washington later today following intense negotiations.
Oleksandr Morezkho said "it will be signed" but that if it "does not violate our constitution then I will be voting in favour" when the deal is presented to the Rada for ratification.
"I also hope it will be ratified by the US senate," he said.
Kyiv minister 'in Washington to sign minerals deal today'
Wednesday 30 April 2025 14:39
,
Jane Dalton
Ukraine is prepared to sign a landmark mineral resources agreement with the United States today, two senior Ukrainian officials have told the Associated Press.
Economy minister Yulia Svyrydenko is in Washington for the final co-ordination of the agreement's technical details, the sources said.
It was not immediately clear whether the Trump administration was also ready to sign the deal.
Three people reportedly killed and 70 injured in 24 hours
Wednesday 30 April 2025 14:37
At least three people were killed and 70 injured in Russian attacks across Ukraine over the past day, regional authorities say, the Kyiv Independent has reported.
Russia launched 108 drones, including Iranian-designed Shahed-type drones, overnight, the Ukrainian Air Force said.
Why the US wants 2.5bn-year-old rock deposits
Wednesday 30 April 2025 13:56
,
Jane Dalton
Modi pulls out of Moscow Victory Day celebration
Wednesday 30 April 2025 13:50
,
Jane Dalton
Ukraine says Putin must stop talking about wanting peace and act
Wednesday 30 April 2025 13:15
,
Arpan Rai
Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha has swiftly responded to the Kremlin’s latest statement on ceasefire and said Russia should act on wanting peace.
Senior Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said cinching a deal to end the Russia-Ukraine war "is far too complex to be done quickly”.
He said the Russian president Vladimir Putin backs calls for a ceasefire before peace negotiations, "but before it's done, it's necessary to answer a few questions and sort out a few nuances”.
Kyiv has quickly responded to the statement and asked Russia to present actions on peace talks.
“Russia must stop talking about its readiness for peace and start acting by agreeing unconditionally to a real and durable ceasefire. When the guns are silent, talks can begin—in any format that will bring peace,” Mr Sybiha said on X.
He added: “Russia can demonstrate its genuine readiness for peace talks by agreeing to a real ceasefire for at least 30 days. If Russia is ready for a 60- or 90-day ceasefire, we are too.”
Ukraine once again confirms its readiness for peace talks in any format as soon as we see that Russia is truly prepared for the difficult path to peace, rather than just peace populism or a brief propaganda ceasefire for the May 9 parade.
— Andrii Sybiha (@andrii_sybiha) April 30, 2025
Russia can demonstrate its genuine…
Ukraine struck Russian weapons factory, Kyiv's intelligence says
Wednesday 30 April 2025 13:00
,
Arpan Rai
Ukraine's SBU security agency was responsible for a drone strike on a defence manufacturing facility in Russia, an SBU official told Reuters today.
The official said the strike was on the Murom Instrument-Building Plant, 300 km (186 miles) east of Moscow, which according to a European Union sanctions designation produces components for military ammunition.
Putin's soldiers fighting more intensely despite ceasefire talk, says Ukrainian commander
Wednesday 30 April 2025 12:41
While publicly Russian president Vladimir Putin has been talking of his wish for a ceasefire, on the battlefield his forces have significantly increased the intensity of their combat activity in eastern Ukraine, Ukraine's top military commander Oleksandr Syrskyi said today.
"Despite loud statements about readiness to cease fire for the May holidays, the occupiers (Russian forces) have significantly increased the intensity of combat actions, focusing their main efforts on the Pokrovsk direction," General Syrskyi said on Telegram.
Pokrovsk is one of the hottest sectors on the Ukrainian war frontline and in the past 24 hours, Russian forces have conducted offensive operations and advanced near the region.
On Monday night, Mr Putin declared a three-day ceasefire from 8-10 May to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Soviet Union and its allies in the Second World War.
Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky has said such limited truces are meaningless, and urged Mr Putin to agree to an immediate ceasefire lasting at least 30 days.
Zelensky's aide warns against lifting sanctions on Russian skies and aviation
Wednesday 30 April 2025 12:30
,
Arpan Rai
Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky’s close aide has called for continuing western sanctions on Russia’s aviation sector, asking “why should Russians enjoy the freedom of air travel while Ukrainians cannot be safe in their own country?”
Writing in The Guardian today, Andriy Yermak, the head of the Ukraine’s presidential office, has said that “normalising air links would lift a key restriction on Russians’ daily lives, relieving Moscow of any public pressure for peace”.
The top Ukrainian official flagged Russian aviation sector’s role in “smuggling on behalf of its military”, “circumventing international sanctions by delivering critical components to sanctioned Russian industries” and a charter service that deploys Russia’s troops to the war frontline.
“These sanctions represent more than mere inconvenience: they are a direct obstacle to Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine and a visible reminder of the consequences of its aggression. Rather than unwinding them, we need to build on the success of the current sanctions regime,” Mr Yermak said.
He added: “The fact that Russian officials have made lifting aviation sanctions a priority in diplomatic channels underscores their effectiveness.”
