US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said the US would decide “in a matter of days” whether a ceasefire deal was possible or not. Meanwhile, Russian missiles have continued to rain down on Ukraine.
JD Vance ‘optimistic’ about peace
US Vice President JD Vance discussed the Ukraine war with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Melonia during his visit to Rome, with Vance saying he was “optimistic” regarding the ongoing negotiations with Russia.
“Since there are the negotiations, I won’t prejudge them, but we do feel optimistic that we can hopefully bring this war, this very
brutal war, to a close,” Vance said.
The comments come just hours after Secretary of State Marco Rubio cast doubt on the US commitment to talks. The US’ top diplomat said that the US could “move on” from the peace process if a deal isn’t reached in the “short term.”
Vance arrived in the Italian capital with his family on Friday morning, just as Meloni was also returning to Italy from a visit to the White House on Thursday.
The US vice president will spend the Easter holidays in Rome and is due to attend Mass at St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican on Easter Sunday.
US, Ukraine aim for mineral deal next week
The Ukrainian government published a memo on Friday announcing a raw materials deal with the US.
“We are happy to announce the signing with our American partners,” Yulia Svyrydenko, Ukraine’s first deputy prime minister and economy minister, said on social media on Thursday, referring to the memo.
Svyrydenko added thart the document “testifies to the constructive joint work of our teams and the intention to finalize and conclude an agreement that will be beneficial to both our peoples.”
Although the memo provided few details on the conditions of the deal, the final agreement is expected to provide the US with access to Ukraine’s rare earths, which are crucial for high-tech industries.
In return, Ukraine hopes the deal will reinforce its relationship with the US and secure Washington’s long-term support in the war with Russia.
“The United States of America and Ukraine have held highly productive technical discussions in Washington, DC as recently as April 11-12, 2025, in order to finalize negotiation of an agreement,” the memo read.
Ukraine’s prime minister is due to fly to Washington next week, in the hopes of sealing the deal by April 26.
“Ukrainian Prime Minister (Denys) Shmygal will visit Washington, DC the week of April 21, 2025, to meet with US Treasury Secretary (Scott) Bessent and lend high-level support to the conclusion of technical discussions,” the memo read.
Ukraine imposes sanctions on China
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s administration published an updated list of sanctioned entities, which now includes Chinese companies.
Some of the companies now sanctioned by Kyiv include Beijing Aviation And Aerospace Xianghui Technology Co. Ltd, Rui Jin Machinery Co. Ltd, and Zhongfu Shenying Carbon Fiber Xining Co. Ltd.
Those companies, registered in China, are now banned from doing business in Ukraine. Any assets they may hold in the European country are to be frozen.
But the move comes a day after Zelensky said Ukraine had “general information from the SBU intelligence service and reconnaissance” suggesting that China is supplying Russia with “gunpowder and artillery.”
He also claimed that representatives of China have been producing weapons on Russian territory. Zelensky has also previously accused Beijing of approving the recruitment of Chinese citizens for the Russian army in China.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a regular news conference that Beijing has never made lethal weapons available to any party to the Ukraine crisis.
“China’s position on the Ukrainian issue has always been clear,” Lin said. “It has been actively committed to promoting a ceasefire and ending the conflict, as well as encouraging peace talks.”
