Here is a rewritten version of the article, adhering to the specified guidelines:
Ukraine's bid for EU membership, launched after Russia's 2022 invasion, is facing increased opposition from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).
The Hungarian government plans to distribute ballots next week, inviting citizens to vote on Ukraine's EU membership.
While the vote is consultative and non-binding, it mirrors previous tactics used by Orbán to legitimize his Eurosceptic stances.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance is meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at Chigi Palace in Rome, Italy.
Discussions regarding peace talks for Ukraine are expected to be on the agenda.
Updated
Russia's defense ministry reported on Friday that Ukraine attacked Russian energy facilities four times in the last 24 hours, despite a U.S.-brokered moratorium on such strikes.
Both Russia and Ukraine accuse each other of violating the moratorium.
Vance 'optimistic' US can end war, he says at Meloni meeting
The U.S. is optimistic about ending the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, according to Vice President JD Vance, speaking before a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome on Friday.
This meeting follows one held between the two leaders in Washington less than 24 hours prior.
"I want to update the prime minister on some of the negotiations between Russia and Ukraine … even in the past 24 hours, we think we have some interesting things to report on," Vance stated.
"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.”
His comments followed remarks by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who indicated that President Donald Trump would cease efforts to broker a Russia-Ukraine peace deal within days without clear progress.
Vance, who is in Rome for the Easter weekend, noted that discussions with Meloni would also cover "trade negotiations, not only between Italy and the US but also with the EU."
Following their meeting, Vance and Meloni are scheduled to have lunch with Italian Deputy Prime Ministers Matteo Salvini and Antonio Tajani.
Meloni, who maintains relations with Trump's "Make America Great Again" movement, was the first European leader to meet with the U.S. President after he paused some planned trade tariff increases.
She mentioned that Trump accepted an invitation to visit Rome, potentially offering an opportunity for him to meet with other European leaders.
Vance is also scheduled to meet with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State.
Updated
Kyiv reported on Friday the repatriation of the bodies of 909 Ukrainian soldiers killed in battles with Russia, marking the second such repatriation in three weeks.
"As a result of repatriation activities, the bodies of 909 fallen Ukrainian defenders were returned to Ukraine," the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War, a government agency, stated on social media, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Full text of US-Ukraine memorandum of intent for minerals deal
On Thursday, Ukraine and the United States signed a memorandum of intent, confirming their intention to finalize an agreement on jointly developing Ukrainian natural resources.
The full text, posted on Friday on the website of the Ukrainian government and provided by Reuters, is as follows:
Memorandum of Intent between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of Ukraine to Finalize Formal Agreement on Economic Partnership and Reconstruction Investment Fund
Whereas, the United States of America has provided significant financial and material support to Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022;
Whereas, the American people desire to invest alongside the Ukrainian people in a free, sovereign, and secure Ukraine;
Whereas, the United States of America and Ukraine desire a lasting peace in Ukraine and a durable partnership between their two peoples and governments;
Whereas, the United States of America and Ukraine recognize the contribution that Ukraine has made to strengthen international peace and security by voluntarily relinquishing the world’s third-largest arsenal of nuclear weapons;
Whereas, the United States of America and Ukraine intend to establish a reconstruction investment fund as part of an economic partnership between the two peoples and governments;
Whereas, the United States of America and Ukraine have held highly productive technical discussions in Washington D.C. as recently as 11-12 April 2025, in order to finalize negotiation of an agreement to establish a reconstruction investment fund;
Whereas, the United States respects Ukraine’s intention to avoid conflicts in the drafting of the agreement with Ukraine’s obligations under European Union accession or agreements with international financial institutions and other official creditors;
Whereas, without prejudice to any remaining political or legal procedures required to complete the arrangement, Ukrainian Prime Minister Shmyhal will visit Washington D.C. the week of 21 April 2025, to meet with U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessent and lend high-level support to the conclusion of technical discussions on the terms of an agreement establishing a reconstruction investment fund. Negotiating teams are expected to report on the progress by 26 April 2025, with the aim of completing discussions by that date and signing as soon as possible; and
Now, therefore, as evidenced by the signatures set forth below, the government of the United States and the government of Ukraine enter into this Memorandum of Intent to work expeditiously towards the completion of the necessary documents in order to finalize the agreement forging an economic partnership between the American and Ukrainian peoples and establishing a reconstruction investment fund.
This Memorandum of Intent may be signed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, and all of which shall be deemed one instrument.
Updated
Ukraine imposes sanctions on three Chinese entities, decree says
Ukraine has imposed sanctions on three Chinese entities, according to a presidential decree, Reuters reports.
The sanctions list, which also includes Russian companies, names Beijing Aviation And Aerospace Xianghui Technology Co. Ltd, Rui Jin Machinery Co. Ltd, and Zhongfu Shenying Carbon Fiber Xining Co. Ltd, all registered in China.
Russian forces attacked key drone-making facilities in Ukraine on Friday morning and captured Valentynivka in eastern Ukraine, the Russian defence ministry said.
Reuters was unable to independently verify the battlefield report.
The U.S. will discontinue its efforts to broker a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine "within days" unless there are clear signs a settlement can be reached, according to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Kyiv has stated it signed a memorandum with the U.S. regarding a minerals deal. After meeting with European and Ukrainian leaders, Rubio indicated that President Donald Trump remains interested in a deal but has other priorities and is prepared to move on without progress.
Putin’s order not to hit Ukraine energy targets has 'expired', says the Kremlin
A 30-day moratorium on striking Ukrainian energy infrastructure, ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin last month, has "expired," according to the Kremlin on Friday.
Russia announced the truce on March 18 after a call between Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump, but both Moscow and Kyiv have accused each other of repeated violations.
"The month has indeed expired," spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters during a briefing call, responding to a question from Agence France-Presse (AFP). He added:
As of this time, there have been no other instructions from the supreme commander-in-chief, president Putin.
The short-lived moratorium was among the few commitments Trump secured from Russia in his attempt to broker a ceasefire in the three-year conflict.
Putin previously rejected a joint US-Ukrainian proposal for an unconditional and full ceasefire.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russia was never serious about the moratorium and that Moscow continued to strike Ukraine’s energy targets "despite Putin’s words."
The Kremlin stated on Friday that some progress has been made in discussions regarding a potential peace settlement to end the war in Ukraine, but that communication with the United States remains complicated.
"Contacts are quite complicated, because, naturally, the topic is not an easy one," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters. "Russia is committed to resolving this conflict, ensuring its own interests, and is open to dialogue. We continue to do this."
A Russian drone strike hit a bakery in northern Ukraine early Friday, killing one man, according to Ukrainian officials. The bakery was preparing traditional Easter cakes.
Images shared by Ukrainian emergency services, reportedly filmed at the scene of the strike in the city of Sumy, showed trays of Easter cakes covered in dust and a broken window nearby, Reuters reported.
According to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, the victim was a local businessman who was at the bakery to collect his order when the drone struck at 5 a.m. (3 a.m. BST).
Sybiha wrote on X:
So much for Russia’s ‘traditional Christian values’. It is against the Lord, any faith, and any human values to strike an ordinary pastry shop, murder an entrepreneur, and destroy Easter bread. This is the evil we are dealing with every day.
Last Sunday, two Russian ballistic missiles hit the center of Sumy, killing 35 people in the deadliest strike on Ukraine this year, Ukrainian officials reported.
Updated
The U.S. will abandon efforts to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine "within days" unless there are clear signs a settlement can be reached, according to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Kyiv reports it has signed a memorandum with the U.S. regarding a minerals deal.
Speaking in Paris on Friday after meeting with European and Ukrainian leaders, Rubio stated that Donald Trump remains interested in a deal but has other priorities and is willing to move on without signs of progress.
Rubio’s comments are the clearest indication that the White House is prepared to withdraw from diplomatic efforts to negotiate an end to the war. Last month, Ukraine agreed unconditionally to a U.S. proposal for a 30-day ceasefire.
However, the Kremlin has rejected the plan and has initiated a new military push across the 600-mile (1,000km) frontline and increased air attacks on Ukrainian civilians and infrastructure. On Sunday, Sumy was bombed, resulting in 35 deaths and 117 injuries.
Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has increased pressure on Ukraine, halting most U.S. military assistance and temporarily cutting off intelligence sharing. This week, he falsely blamed Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Joe Biden for "starting" the war.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance was in Rome on Friday for discussions with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, followed by Easter celebrations at the Vatican and a meeting with Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
Meloni shares conservative views with Vance and President Donald Trump, whom she met in Washington the day before, seeking a U.S.-EU tariffs agreement.
According to Agence France-Presse (AFP), Vance is scheduled to meet Meloni and is also expected to speak with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State.
Meloni has been a supporter of Ukraine and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy since Russia’s invasion in 2022, recently condemning Moscow’s Palm Sunday attack on Sumy.
Trump, however, has shifted towards Moscow and has repeatedly criticized Zelenskyy, whom he and Vance rebuked in an Oval Office meeting in February.
AFP reports that Trump said with Meloni present that "I don’t hold Zelenskyy responsible but I’m not exactly thrilled with the fact that that war started," adding that he was "not a big fan" of the Ukrainian leader.
Russian attack on Kharkiv killed one and injured 82 others, including children, say officials
A Russian missile attack on Ukraine’s northeastern city of Kharkiv killed one person and injured 82 others, including six children, on Friday morning, officials reported.
The strikes damaged apartment buildings, an educational institution, and a business, according to emergency services, Reuters reports.
“This is how Russia began this Good Friday – with ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, Shaheds – maiming our people and cities,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on X.
Reuters video showed emergency workers providing first aid to individuals with injuries near one of the apartment buildings.
“Everything went flying in all rooms, the windows shattered,” Inna Khrystych, a resident, told Reuters. “My husband died.”
Andriy Ponomarenko told the news agency that he and his wife were awakened by the strike and rushed to find their four-year-old daughter amid the smoke and shattered glass. “We first thought the blood was mine but turned out she got a cut by her eye,” he said.
Ukraine’s foreign minister stated that Russia launched four missiles at Kharkiv, three of them ballistic and carrying cluster warheads.
“Russia is a terror machine. It will only stop if we confront it with true strength,” Andriy Sybiha added, a day after meeting with U.S., French, German, and British envoys in Paris.
Ihor Terekhov, the mayor of Ukraine’s second-largest city, said the attack damaged 15 apartment buildings based on preliminary information.
Russia and Ukraine agreed to a U.S.-brokered moratorium on strikes against energy infrastructure last month, but both sides have since accused each other of violating it.
Zelenskyy stated at a press conference in Kyiv on Thursday that Russia was launching the same number of missiles and drones at Ukraine as before the agreement. He noted that Russia had reduced strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities but was attacking civilian infrastructure instead.
A Friday morning drone attack on Sumy, another northeastern city, also killed one person and injured another at a factory baking Easter cakes, officials said.
Updated
Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of Economy has stated that the U.S. and Ukraine have agreed that the Ukrainian parliament would need to ratify the minerals deal agreement.
More details soon …
China says 'never provided lethal weapons' to parties in Ukraine war
Beijing denied providing any party in the Ukraine war with lethal weapons on Friday, after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed he had “information” that China was supplying arms to Russia.
“The Chinese side has never provided lethal weapons to any party in the conflict, and strictly controls dual-use items,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Zelenskyy did not elaborate on his accusations, saying only that Kyiv was “ready” to discuss them in detail.
Last week, the Ukrainian leader stated that Kyiv was aware of at least 155 Chinese nationals deployed to assist Moscow’s invasion and alleged that the Ukrainian army had captured two Chinese soldiers in the eastern Donetsk region.
Beijing stated on Friday that its "position on the Ukraine issue is consistent and clear" and that "We have always actively made efforts for a cessation of hostilities and peace talks," Lin said.
China has presented itself as a neutral party in the three-year war, despite criticism from Western governments that its close ties to Russia have provided Moscow with economic and diplomatic support.
Guardian obtains memorandum of intent to be signed by Ukraine and US
A memorandum of intent to be signed next week by Ukraine and the U.S. regarding a minerals deal has been obtained. It proposes establishing a joint investment fund between the two countries. The draft acknowledges the “significant financial and material support” Washington has provided Kyiv since Russia’s 2022 invasion.
It does not specify whether profits from future investments will be used to "pay back" the U.S. for previous military aid provided under the Biden administration. Donald Trump claims Ukraine "owes" the U.S. at least $300 billion. Volodymyr Zelenskyy asserts that weapons deliveries were a Congress-approved grant, not a loan, and therefore do not need to be repaid. He adds that Ukraine is willing to pay for future military aid from the Trump administration.
Updated
Senior U.S., European, and Ukrainian diplomats will reconvene in London next week, according to the Élysée Palace, following what a French official described as "excellent" talks in Paris aimed at revitalizing stalled ceasefire efforts.
“We have started a positive process in which Europeans are a part,” the spokesperson said after meetings attended by top British, French, German, and Ukrainian officials, as well as U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff.
The French official stated:
The Americans are ready to discuss security guarantees, but the exact content of those guarantees will depend on negotiations allowing Ukraine to achieve a solid and durable peace starting with a complete ceasefire as soon as possible.
French President Emmanuel Macron hosted the talks as Washington and Europe seek common ground on how to end the fighting three years after Russia invaded its neighbor, with Trump’s pledge to swiftly end the war so far unfulfilled.
“Everyone wants to get peace. A robust and sustainable peace. The question is about phasing,” Macron said as the talks began. Keith Kellogg, Trump’s envoy to Ukraine, who also attended, said afterward the talks were “very productive” but provided no details.
A previously unannounced team of Ukrainian officials, including Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, and the country’s foreign and defense ministers, flew in to meet with the U.S. and European delegations.
Yermak said:
We exchanged views on the next steps … including the implementation of a full ceasefire, the involvement of a multinational military contingent and development of an effective security architecture for Ukraine.
US will walk away from Russia-Ukraine peace deal if no progress made soon, Rubio says
U.S. President Donald Trump will discontinue efforts to broker a Russia-Ukraine peace deal within days unless there are clear indications that a deal is achievable, according to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday.
Rubio stated in Paris, after meeting with European and Ukrainian leaders:
We’re not going to continue with this endeavor for weeks and months on end.
So we need to determine very quickly now, and I’m talking about a matter of days whether or not this is doable in the next few weeks. If it is we’re in. If it’s not, then we have other priorities to focus on as well.
According to Reuters, Rubio said Trump remains interested in a deal but is willing to move on if there are no immediate signs of progress.
Trump promised during his election campaign to end the war within his first 24 hours in the White House. He moderated that claim upon taking office, suggesting a deal by April or May, as obstacles mounted.
Key developments include:
- China is supplying weapons to Russia, including gunpowder and artillery, and Chinese representatives are involved in weapons production on Russian territory, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday, citing reporting by Ukrainian security and intelligence agencies. “We are ready to speak in detail about this,” Zelenskyy said, adding that Ukraine expects to share documentation to support the claims next week. China has denied arming Russia against Ukraine.
- Beijing on Friday denied giving any party in the Ukraine war lethal weapons . “The Chinese side has never provided lethal weapons to any party in the conflict, and strictly controls dual-use items,” foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said.
- Ukraine’s Economy Minister, Yulia Svyrydenko, said on Thursday that Kyiv had signed a “memorandum of intent” with Washington on a planned “investment fund for the reconstruction of Ukraine”. Donald Trump said they would sign a minerals deal “next Thursday”. The U.S. Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that a deal was targeted for 26 April.
- Russian strikes killed two people and injured at least 27 others overnight in Kharkiv and Sumy in northeastern Ukraine, authorities said on Friday. “According to preliminary information, the strikes on Kharkiv were carried out by ballistic missiles with cluster munitions. That is why the affected areas are very large,” said Kharkiv’s Mayor, Igor Terekhov, adding that 15 apartment buildings had been damaged. In Sumy, near the Russian border, a Russian Shahed drone attack on civilian infrastructure killed one person and injured one other, the regional military administration said.
- Zelenskyy said Russia had reduced the number of strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities but stepped up attacks on civilian infrastructure instead. Zelenskyy told a press conference in Kyiv that in total, Russia was launching the same number of missiles and drones at Ukraine as before. “They reduced their strikes on energy. That’s a fact. But I wanted us to pay attention to this – Russia did not reduce the number of strikes, that was the strategy … by reducing [strikes on] energy, they are hitting other civilian infrastructure.”
- Russia’s UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia, on Thursday accused Ukraine at the security council of ignoring the energy ceasefire. In a joint statement after the council met, Slovenia, Denmark, France, Greece, and Britain urged Russia to agree to a full and unconditional ceasefire. Slovenia’s UN Ambassador, Samuel Zbogar, said: “Ukraine wants peace, and has demonstrated this by agreeing to a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire five weeks ago. At the consultations today, Russia again rejected the comprehensive ceasefire and refused to make its first step towards peace.”
