The Kremlin has responded to US threats that it’ll abandon peace talks between Russia and Ukraine inside days except there are clear indicators {that a} deal could be reached.
US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, mentioned right now that Donald Trump was nonetheless excited by a deal however had many other priorities around the world and was prepared to maneuver on except there have been indicators of progress.
Later within the day, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov insisted some progress on a peace settlement had already been made as he claimed Russia is striving to resolve the battle. He mentioned that Moscow remained open to dialogue with Washington however that contacts have been tough.
It comes as Ukrainian officials announced they have signed a top level view of a minerals cope with the US and mentioned a last accord may very well be reached by the top of subsequent week.
On the conflict entrance, a Russian missile assault on Ukraine‘s northeastern metropolis of Kharkiv killed one individual and wounded 82 others, together with six kids, on Friday morning, officers mentioned.
Amid rising attacks on his nation, Volodymyr Zelensky has accused China of supplying weapons, including gunpowder and artillery, to Russia in recent allegations of Beijing’s involvement in Moscow’s conflict in Ukraine.
China‘s international ministry dismissed the accusation as “groundless” on Friday.
Dozen wounded in Russian assaults on Kyiv and Mykolaiv in a single day
A dozen folks have been wounded in Russian assaults on Kyiv and the southern Black Sea area of Mykolaiv in a single day.
Firefighters have been seen working to extinguish a fireplace following the assault in Mykolaiv.
Russian strikes killed at the very least two folks in Ukraine on Thursday and wounded over two dozen, Kyiv mentioned.
In the meantime, Moscow claimed to have captured one other village within the northwestern Sumy area.
Tara Cobham18 April 2025 13:00
US vp says he’s ‘optimistic’ Russia-Ukraine conflict could be ended
The US is optimistic it may well put an finish to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, vp JD Vance mentioned on Friday as he met Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for the second time in 24 hours.
Mr Vance noticed Ms Meloni in Washington on Thursday and the 2 have since flown to the Italian capital forward of the Easter holidays.
“I need to replace the prime minister on a number of the negotiations between Russia and Ukraine … even previously 24 hours, we expect we’ve some attention-grabbing issues to report on,” Mr Vance informed reporters sitting alongside Ms Meloni.
“Since there are the negotiations I will not prejudge them, however we do really feel optimistic that we will hopefully carry this conflict, this very brutal conflict, to a detailed,” he added.
Hours earlier, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had mentioned US President Donald Trump would stroll away from making an attempt to dealer a Russia-Ukraine peace deal inside days except there have been clear indicators {that a} deal may very well be completed.
Russian drone kills one in hit on bakery making ready Easter desserts, Kyiv says
A Russian drone strike hit a bakery in northern Ukraine the place conventional Easter desserts have been being ready, killing one man early on Friday, Ukrainian officers mentioned.
Pictures shared by Ukrainian emergency providers, which mentioned they have been filmed on the scene of the strike within the metropolis of Sumy, confirmed trays of Easter desserts – often known as paska in Ukrainian – coated in gray mud, and a smashed window close by.
The sufferer was a neighborhood businessman who was on the bakery to gather his order when the drone struck at 5am (2am GMT), in response to Ukrainian Overseas Minister Andrii Sybiha.
Ukraine’s Christian group, together with Orthodox believers, Catholics and Protestants, have been marking the Good Friday non secular vacation on Friday, and making ready to rejoice Easter on Sunday.
“A lot for Russia’s ‘conventional Christian values.’ It’s towards the Lord, any religion, and any human values to strike an odd pastry store, homicide an entrepreneur, and destroy Easter bread. That is the evil we’re coping with day-after-day,” Sybiha wrote on X, previously often known as Twitter.
Final Sunday, two Russian ballistic missiles hit the centre of Sumy, killing 35 folks within the deadliest strike on Ukraine this yr, Ukrainian officers mentioned.
Tara Cobham18 April 2025 12:00
Ukraine imposes sanctions on a number of Chinese language entities
Ukraine has imposed sanctions on a number of Chinese language entities, Volodymyr Zelensky’s decree has mentioned.
Tara Cobham18 April 2025 11:49
Russia struck key drone making services in Ukraine, Russian defence ministry says
Russian forces attacked key drone-making services in Ukraine on Friday morning and captured the settlement of Valentynivka in Japanese Ukraine, the Russian defence ministry mentioned.
The battlefield report couldn’t be independently verified.
Kremlin says progress has been made on Ukraine peace however contacts sophisticated with the US
The Kremlin has mentioned some progress has already been made in talks a few doable peace settlement to finish the conflict in Ukraine however that contacts have been quite sophisticated with the USA.
“Contacts are fairly sophisticated, as a result of, naturally, the subject is just not a simple one,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov informed reporters on Friday.
“Russia is dedicated to resolving this battle, making certain its personal pursuits, and is open to dialogue. We proceed to do that.”
Tara Cobham18 April 2025 11:01
Russian missile assault kills one and wounds 82 in Ukraine’s Kharkiv, officers say
A Russian missile assault on Ukraine’s northeastern metropolis of Kharkiv killed one individual and wounded 82 others, together with six kids, on Friday morning, officers mentioned.
The strikes broken house buildings, an academic establishment and a enterprise, in response to the emergency providers.
“That is how Russia started this Good Friday – with ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, Shaheds – maiming our folks and cities,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy mentioned on X.
Reuters video confirmed emergency staff giving first help to folks with bleeding wounds close to one of many house buildings.
“Every little thing went flying in all rooms, the home windows shattered,” mentioned Inna Khrystych, one of many residents. “My husband died.”
Andriy Ponomarenko mentioned he and his spouse have been woken by the strike and rushed to seek out their four-year-old daughter amid the smoke and shattered glass.
“We first thought the blood was mine however turned out she obtained a lower by her eye,” he mentioned.
Ukraine’s international minister Andriy Sybiha mentioned Russia launched 4 missiles at Kharkiv, three of them ballistic and carrying cluster warheads.
Ihor Terekhov, the mayor of Ukraine’s second largest metropolis, mentioned the assault broken 15 house buildings based mostly on preliminary data.
Tara Cobham18 April 2025 10:25
Ukraine and US ‘to begin new spherical of minerals deal negotiations subsequent week’
Ukraine and the US are set to begin a brand new spherical of negotiations on the minerals deal on Thursday, Ukraine’s deputy minister of the financial system has mentioned.
Tara Cobham18 April 2025 10:11
Ukraine and US ‘perceive Ukrainian parliament would wish to ratify minerals deal’
Ukraine and the US have reached an understanding that the Ukrainian parliament would wish to ratify a minerals deal settlement, Ukraine’s deputy minister of the financial system has mentioned.
Tara Cobham18 April 2025 10:05
China dismisses Zelensky’s declare it’s supplying weapons to Russia
China’s international ministry has rejected an accusation by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky that the nation had been supplying weapons to Russia as “groundless”.
China has by no means made deadly weapons obtainable to any occasion to the Ukraine disaster, ministry spokesperson Lin Jian informed an everyday information convention.
“China’s place on the Ukrainian concern has at all times been clear,” Mr Lin mentioned. “It has been actively dedicated to selling a ceasefire and ending the battle, in addition to encouraging peace talks,” he mentioned.
China opposes groundless accusations and political manipulation, he mentioned, including that Ukraine had mentioned publicly that a lot of the parts in weapons imported by Russia got here from the USA and different Western nations.
Friday’s disclaimer from Beijing adopted Mr Zelensky’s remarks at a press convention the day before today that China was supplying weapons and gunpowder to Russia, whereas additionally accusing it of manufacturing weapons on Russian territory.
Arpan Rai18 April 2025 09:09
