Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and President Vladimir Putin at the Libya summit, Berlin, Germany, January 19, 2020 (Kay Nietfeld/Reuters)

Thursday’s Coverage: Zelensky — “Good Progress” on Minerals Deal with US

Map: Institute for the Study of War

UPDATE 1328 GMT:

Ukraine has repatriated the bodies of 909 soldiers killed during Russia’s invasion.

“We express our gratitude for the assistance of the International Committee of the Red Cross,” Ukrainian officials said in a statement.

UPDATE 1323 GMT:

Japan has signed an agreement for a loan to Ukraine of 471.9 billion Japanese yen ($3 billion), covered by Russian assets.

The loan is part of the G7’s Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration for Ukraine program, which aims to provide Kyiv with $50 billion for reconstruction and defense needs. It will be repaid by proceeds from around $300 billion in frozen Russian assets.

Japan’s funds will be disbursed over 30 years and directed toward budgetary needs, reconstruction, and development.

UPDATE 1316 GMT:

As Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky says China is providing gunpowder and artillery to Russia (see 1026 GMT), Kyiv has imposed sanctions on three Chinese entities — Beijing Aviation and Aerospace Xianghui Technology Co. Ltd; Rui Jin Machinery Co. Ltd; and Zhongfu Shenying Carbon Fiber Xining Co. Ltd — as well as Russian companies.

UPDATE 1309 GMT:

In a further sign that Russia has no interest in halting its invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin says a 30-day pause on striking energy infrastructure has “expired”.

Moscow had declared its acceptance of a moratorium on March 18, but continued daily, deadly missile and drone strikes across Ukraine.

“The month has indeed expired,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a briefing call. “As of this time, there have been no other instructions from the supreme commander-in-chief, President Putin.”

UPDATE 1049 GMT:

At least one civilian has been killed and 87 injured, including six children, by a Russian missile strike on Kharkiv city in northeast Ukraine.

At least 20 apartment buildings, 30 houses, an educational institution, and a business were damaged.

Mayor Ihor Terekhov explained, “According to preliminary information, the strikes on Kharkiv were carried out with ballistic missiles equipped with cluster munitions. That is why the affected areas are so extensive.”

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky commented:

Video showed emergency workers giving first aid to bleeding people near one of the apartment buildings.

“Everything went flying in all rooms, the windows shattered,” said Inna Khrystych. “My husband died.”

In Sumy city in northern Ukraine, a Russian drone strike on a bakery at 5 a.m. killed a local businessman collecting his order.

Images showed trays of Easter cakes covered in grey dust amid smashed windows.

Ukraine Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha posted:

On Palm Sunday, 35 civilians were killed and 119 injured in Sumy by Russian ballistic missile strikes.

UPDATE 1026 GMT:

China has denied giving lethal weapons to Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke on Thursday of “information” that China was supplying gunpowder and artillery to Russia, and of Chinese representatives involved in weapons production on Russian territory (see Original Entry).

Foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said, “The Chinese side has never provided lethal weapons to any party in the conflict, and strictly controls dual-use items….We have always actively made efforts for a cessation of hostilities and peace talks.”

UPDATE 1020 GMT:

The French Presidency says senior diplomats from Ukraine, Europe, and the US will meet again in London next week, following Thursday’s initial meeting in Paris.

A French spokesperson said:

We have started a positive process in which Europeans are a part.

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.

Ukrainian Presidential Chief of Staff Andrii Yermak, who took part in the discussions, summarized:

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 Secretary of State Marco Rubio offered no details but issued a general threat:

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.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: Two months after the start of its direct talks with the Trump Administration, Russia has rejected efforts for a ceasefire in its 38-month invasion of Ukraine.

Moscow’s Ambassador to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, told the Security Council on Thursday, “Under the current circumstances, it is simply unrealistic to talk about a ceasefire at this stage.”

Nebenzia falsely declared, “We had an attempt at a limited ceasefire on energy infrastructure facilities, which was not observed by the Ukrainian side”.

After the Trump Administration — under pressure from Europe — also held direct talks with Ukraine, an agreement on a halt to attacks on energy infrastructure was announced. However, Russia has continued its nightly missile and drone assaults on civilian areas across Ukraine.

On Palm Sunday, two Russian missiles killed 35 civilians and injured 119 in Sumy in northeast Ukraine.

Ukraine War, Day 1,146: Mourning Victims of Russia’s Mass Murder in Sumy

The Kremlin also rejected a Ukraine-US agreement to stop assaults in and from the Black Sea, demanding the removal of American sanctions.

In a joint statement after Friday’s Security Council meeting, 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.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky told a press conference in Kyiv:

They reduced their strikes on energy. That’s a fact. But I want us to pay attention to this – Russia did not reduce the number of strikes….By reducing [strikes on] energy, they are hitting other civilian infrastructure.

Zelensky: China Providing Weapons to Russia

Citing Ukrainian security and intelligence agenceis, Zelensky said China is supplying weapons to Russia, including gunpowder and artillery.

The President added that Chinese representatives are involved in weapons production on Russian territory. “We are ready to speak in detail about this,” he assured, with Ukraine expecting to share documents to support the claims next week.

Meanwhile, European and Ukrainian officials met Trump Administration counterparts for the first time.

Representatives from Ukraine, France, Germany, and the UK sat down in Paris with an American delegation led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Donald Trump’s envoy, real estate developer Steve Witkoff.

No details were given, but a senior advisor to French President Emmanuel Macron said, “The E3 are around the table and we’re doing it with a European ambition. What’s important is that we have started a process in Paris today that is positive and where the Europeans are associated.”

After the meeting, Rubio called Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Ukraine: Rare Earth Minerals Deal Reached with Trump

Ukraine’s Economy Minister, Yulia Svyrydenko, said on Thursday that Kyiv has signed a “memorandum of intent” with the Trump Administration on rare earth minerals, with an “investment fund for the reconstruction of Ukraine”.

The memorandum proposes a joint investment fund. It recognizes the “significant financial and material support” that the US has given Ukraine during Russia’s full-scale invasion, but does not confirm if profits from minerals will be used to “pay back” the Trump Administration.

Donald Trump initially said a minerals deal would be signed “next Thursday”. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent later said the memorandum’s confirmation is set for April 26.

On Wednesday, Svrydenko cited “significant progress” in talks with Trump officials: “Our legal staff has adjusted several items within the draft agreement.”

A previous draft agreement collapsed on February 28 when, as it was ready to be signed in the White House, Vice President J.D. Vance verbally ambushed Zelensky and the Ukrainian delegation was evicted from the building.

That agreement set out 50-50 control of the profits from the minerals, with proceeds going to Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction.

Earlier this month, the Trump Administration demanded full control of revenues until Ukraine repaid all US aid given during Russian’s 38-month full-scale invasion.

But a “senior official with knowledge of the negotiations” said revised drafts appeared not to recognize previous US military aid as a debt owed by Ukraine, so talks were moving forward “quite fast”. Sources told Bloomberg that the Administration had reduced its demand from $300 billion to $100 billion.