The US is prepared to recognise Russian control of the Ukrainian region of Crimea as part of a broader peace agreement between Moscow and Kyiv, Bloomberg News has reported, citing people familiar with the matter. According to Bloomberg, the people said a final decision on the matter had not yet been taken, and the White House and state department did not respond to a request for comment. At least six people have been injured by Russian attacks across Ukraine over the past day, local authorities said on Saturday, according to the Kyiv Independent. Citing the Ukrainian air force, the publication reported that Russia deployed eight missiles of different types, and 87 long-range drones. Of those, 33 were shot down and 36 turned out to be decoy, the air force said. US vice-president JD Vance met on Saturday with the Vatican’s secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and the foreign minister, archbishop Paul Gallagher. “It is clear that the approach of the current US administration is very different from what we are used to and, especially in the west, from what we have relied on for many years,” Parolin told La Repubblica daily on the eve of Vance’s visit. As the US pushes to end the war in Ukraine, Parolin reaffirmed Kyiv’s right to its territorial integrity and insisted that any peace deal must not be “imposed” on Ukraine but “is built patiently, day by day, with dialogue and mutual respect”. US congressman Brian Fitzpatrick, a pro-Ukraine Republican representing Pennsylvania, signed an artillery shell with a message intended for Vladimir Putin during a visit with Ukrainian troops yesterday after a meeting with president Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Fitzpatrick was filmed signing an artillery shell with a “very personal” message to Putin. The message read: To: Putin, From: PA-1. #PeaceThroughStrength. PA-1 refers to the Pennsylvania community Fitzpatrick has represented since 2017. Fitzpatrick said the “message was delivered on target”. “They’re fighting for their democracy, they’re fighting for the freedom – all of us in America need to stand behind them,” Fitzpatrick said in a separate video address published on his Facebook account. He added: I always have and always will have their back. I encourage all my colleagues in Congress to come here. Russia’s defence ministry accused Ukraine on Saturday of attacking Russian energy facilities 10 times over the past 24 hours, Reuters reports. A 30-day moratorium was brokered by the US in March between Ukraine and Russia against strikes on each other’s energy infrastructure. However, both nations have repeatedly accused the other of violating it. On Friday, when asked if the energy moratorium was over, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that no orders from Vladimir Putin had been received to alter Russia’s position. The posters are going up all over Hungary. “Let’s not allow them to decide for us,” runs the slogan alongside three classic villains of Hungarian government propaganda. They are: Ukraine’s wartime leader, Volodymyr Zelenskyy; the European Commission’s president, Ursula von der Leyen; and Manfred Weber, the German politician who leads the centre-right European People’s party in the European parliament, which counts Hungary’s most potent opposition politician among its ranks. That decision is Ukraine’s membership of the EU, a distant prospect not in the gift of any of the politicians now plastered across billboards in Hungary. Ballot papers, being sent out this week, ask a simple question: “Do you support Ukraine becoming a member of the EU?” Despite the neutral question, Hungary’s government is not standing on the sidelines. After the launch of the campaign, the prime minister, Viktor Orbán, last week urged people to vote, claiming that Ukrainian membership would mean “we would have to spend all Hungary’s money on Ukraine”. The government has also claimed – without offering evidence – that “cheap labour” from Ukraine would take jobs from Hungarians, while epidemics would spread because not enough Ukrainians have vaccinations. The governing Fidesz party realised that “there is a sentiment against Hungary’s involvement in the war”, said László Andor, Hungary’s EU commissioner from 2010 to 2014. “But ever since, this has been used and abused to deny proper support to Ukraine.” Hungary has repeatedly sought to block EU sanctions against Russia, eventually backing down. It has vetoed the release of €6bn funds to reimburse other EU countries providing military aid to Ukraine and flatly refused to sign two EU declarations in support of its invaded neighbour. But now its attempts to stymie EU support for Ukraine could force a reckoning in its relations with the bloc, at a moment when Orbán contends with his most serious political challenger in years. On Saturday, a Ukrainian drone strike on a car in the Kursk region killed a woman and injured a man and a child, regional governor Alexander Khinstein said on Telegram. Russia on Saturday said it had retaken the penultimate village still under Ukrainian control in its Kursk frontier region, where Kyiv’s forces launched a surprise offensive in August, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP). The Ukrainian campaign took Russian troops by surprise and resulted in Kyiv seizing more than 1,000 square kilometres (400 square miles) of territory. “During offensive operations, units of the Northern Group of Troops liberated the village of Oleshnya,” the Russian defence ministry said on Telegram. Now only one other village, Gornal, remains under Ukrainian control, reports AFP. Russian soldiers recaptured large swathes of the region in March, notably driving the Ukrainians out of the small town of Sudja, their main base of operations in the area. According to AFP, Russian troops are now at the border and are poised to beef up threats to the Ukrainian region of Sumy, which faces Kursk, where they have already carried out incursions in recent weeks. The US president, Donald Trump, said that nobody was “playing” him over negotiations to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Trump added that he believed both Russia and Ukraine were still showing enthusiasm to bring the war to an end. You can listen to Trump’s comments in this video report: Here are some of the latest images on the newswires: Russian troops recaptured the village of Oleshnya in Russia’s western Kursk region from Ukrainian forces, the RIA state news agency cited the Russian defence ministry as saying on Saturday. Reuters said it could not independently verify the battlefield report. Russia has been fighting to eject Ukrainian troops from Kursk since Kyiv sent its forces across the border in a lightning incursion in August 2024. One key to a successful negotiation is always being willing to walk away from the table. But it isn’t clear whether the Trump administration has threatened to give up on a Russia-Ukraine peace deal as a negotiating tactic or simply because it lacks the concentration for a complicated negotiation – a shortcoming that has dogged the administration’s foreign policy through its first three months in office. Standing on a tarmac in Paris, the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, issued a threat that the US could simply “move on” from mediating the biggest military conflict in Europe since the second world war. That would be the latest about-face for an administration that has already taken a back seat on negotiating a peace in Gaza and retreated on implementing worldwide tariffs that shook financial markets around the globe earlier this month. Diplomacy, it turns out, is hard. The 24 hours that Donald Trump promised he would need to halt the fighting in Ukraine have long since passed. And the administration has done little of the hard diplomatic work that was required to secure landmark deals like the Dayton agreement or the Camp David accords in the past. There have been plenty of meetings: Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff has spoken three times with Vladimir Putin, during which he has listened to the Kremlin leader’s thoughts on Ukraine for hours, and Rubio was on the phone with Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, and met Ukrainian officials and European leaders in Paris on Thursday. But there are few indications that new ground has been struck, that the US has exerted any pressure on the Kremlin or that the negotiations have identified what kinds of security guarantees would exist to ensure that Russia wouldn’t simply continue the war when it sees fit. One element of a “Trump deal” appears to be this: that it doesn’t take very long or involve very much effort to achieve. You can read more of this analysis by Andrew Roth here: Russian troops are “solidifying their presence” in the village of Kalynove in the Donetsk region, the Kyiv Independent reports, citing the DeepState military blog, which is considered close to Ukraine’s army. The publication reports, sourcing DeepState, that Russian forces are deploying infantry, and establishing logistical routes and communication lines in Kalynove. Donald Trump has said the US will “take a pass” on a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine if “parties make it difficult”. The US president made the comments to reporters during the swearing-in ceremony for Mehmet Oz as administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Trump added that he believed there was a “good chance” of “solving the problem”. The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, had earlier said the US will abandon its efforts “within days” to broker a peace agreement unless there are clear signs a settlement can be reached. Here is a video report on the story: Australia will use “whatever avenues” it can to help Melbourne man Oscar Jenkins, who faces a 15-year jail term in Russia for fighting with Ukrainian troops. The prime minister said on Saturday that the government would “continue to make representations to the reprehensible regime of Vladimir Putin” to release Jenkins, 33, a former teacher who fought with Ukraine’s armed forces against Russia’s invasion. After initial reports in January that Jenkins had died in captivity, Russia then confirmed he was alive and in custody. In February video of him appeared on YouTube in which he appeared weak and said he thought he had a broken arm. According to several news reports on Saturday, the Russian prosecutor’s office in Luhansk – eastern Ukrainian territory currently occupied by Russia – has approved a criminal indictment against Jenkins. The Guardian has confirmed that a charge was laid. Russia has indicted other foreign prisoners of war. “We continue to hold serious concerns for Mr Jenkins and are working with Ukraine and other partners to advocate for his welfare and release.” a spokesperson for Australia’s department of foreign affairs and trade said. The ABC reported that the indictment claimed “a citizen of Australia, on his own initiative, in order to receive material remuneration, arrived on the territory of Ukraine to participate as a mercenary in an armed conflict with the Russian Federation on the side of enemy troops”. The ABC also cited local media claiming he was paid up to $15,000 a month to fight on Ukraine’s side against Russia. The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, has said Jenkins was being held as a prisoner of war, which would mean he should be afforded the protection of international humanitarian law. But Moscow referred to him as a mercenary, which would mean he is not covered by the conventions. Anthony Albanese said on Saturday the Australian government would “stand up and use whatever avenues we have at our disposal to continue to make those representations [on behalf of Jenkins] … both to Russia, but also, of course, through our friends in Ukraine, who have also made representations as well”. Russia launched eight missiles and 87 drones in an overnight attack on Ukraine on Saturday, causing damage in five regions across the country, the Ukrainian air force said. Air defence units shot down 33 Russian drones, and another 36 drones were redirected by electronic warfare, the Ukrainian air force said, reports Reuters. It gave no details on missiles. Damage was recorded in five regions in the south, north-east and east, it said. US vice-president JD Vance struck a more hopeful tone in Rome on Friday, before talks with Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni. “We think we have some interesting things to report on, of course in private,” he said. On 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.” He did not give more details, reports the Associated Press (AP). The US state department said Marco Rubio issued the same warning in a phone call on Friday with Nato secretary general Mark Rutte, telling him that “if a clear path to peace does not emerge soon, the United States will step back from efforts to broker peace.” Donald Trump said “Marco is right” that the dynamic of the negotiations between Ukraine and Russia must change, but stopped short of saying he is ready to walk away. “Well, I don’t want to say that,” Trump said. “But we want to see it end.” The Associate Press (AP) reports that Rubio’s comments stepped up pressure on both sides to reach a peace deal, even as the US and Ukraine made progress on a minerals agreement that Trump has sought to recoup billions of dollars in military assistance that Washington has sent Kyiv since Russia’s full scale invasion in February 2022. They also indicated the road to a complete truce will be long and mired with contention, despite Trump repeatedly claiming on the campaign trail that he could end the war within a day. Trump said last month that he was “being a little bit sarcastic.” Coming out of the Paris talks, the US are ready to use carrot and stick strategies with Russia and understand the need for ″a relationship of force that allows them to get commitments from both sides,” a French diplomatic official, who took part in the talks but was not authorised to comment publicly, told the AP. The Americans and Europeans discussed sanctions but ″not the question of easing sanctions” on Russia. The official told the AP that the European Union needs to use ″all instruments at our disposition,” notably to have levers of influence over the Russians to ensure they commit to eventual promises. President Donald Trump has said negotiations between Ukraine and Russia are “coming to a head” and insisted that neither side is “playing” him in his push to end the grinding war. Trump spoke on Friday shortly after secretary of state Marco Rubio warned that the US may “move on” from trying to secure a Russia-Ukraine peace deal if there is no progress in the coming days, after months of efforts have failed to bring an end to the fighting. The US president said: Now, if for some reason, one of the two parties makes it very difficult, we’re just going to say you’re foolish. You are fools, you horrible people. And we’re going to just take a pass. But hopefully, we won’t have to do that. Rubio’s dour assessment came after landmark talks in Paris among US, Ukrainian and European officials produced outlines for steps toward peace and appeared to make some long-awaited progress. Another meeting is expected next week in London, and Rubio suggested it could be decisive in determining whether the Trump administration continues its involvement. “We are now reaching a point where we need to decide whether this is even possible or not,” Rubio told reporters in Paris. “Because if it’s not, then I think we’re just going to move on. It’s not our war. We have other priorities to focus on.” He said the US administration wants to decide “in a matter of days”. More on that story in a moment, but first, here are some other developments: Russia and Ukraine will conduct a new prisoner swap on Saturday mediated by the United Arab Emirates, a source close to the negotiations told Reuters. Nearly 500 Russian and Ukrainian prisoners and 46 injured soldiers will be exchanged in the latest swap to be mediated by Abu Dhabi. The exchange will involve 246 prisoners from each side, the source said. Ukraine imposed sanctions on three Chinese companies on Friday, claiming they were involved in the production of advanced Iskander missiles. The sanctions list, which also includes Russian companies, names Beijing Aviation & Aerospace Xianghui Technology, Rui Jin Machinery and Zhongfu Shenying Carbon Fiber Xining, all registered in China. Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said on X: “Today, we have expanded our Ukrainian sanctions against nearly a hundred more entities – natural and legal persons – most of whom are involved in the production of such missiles – Iskanders – like those that struck our Kharkiv. Many of these entities are Russian, but unfortunately, some are also from China.” On Thursday, Zelenskyy accused China of supplying Russia with artillery and gunpowder, which Beijing has denied. Russia launched 8 missiles and 87 drones in an overnight attack on Ukraine on Saturday, causing damage in five regions across the country, the Ukrainian air force said. The Guardian has obtained the memorandum of intent signed by Ukraine and the US over a minerals deal. It envisages setting up a joint investment fund between the two countries and lays out a deadline of 26 April to finalise negotiations. The document recognises the “significant financial and material support” Washington has given Kyiv since Russia’s full-scale 2022 invasion. The US is prepared to recognise Russian control of the Ukrainian region of Crimea as part of a broader peace agreement between Moscow and Kyiv, Bloomberg News has reported, citing people familiar with the matter. According to Bloomberg, the people said a final decision on the matter hadn’t yet been taken, and the White House and state department did not respond to a request for comment. Australia will use “whatever avenues” it can to help Melbourne man Oscar Jenkins, who faces a 15-year jail term in Russia for fighting with Ukrainian troops. The prime minister said on Saturday that the government would “continue to make representations to the reprehensible regime of Vladimir Putin” to release Jenkins, 33, a former teacher who fought with Ukraine’s armed forces against Russia’s invasion.
Author: Amy Sedghi (now) and Daniel Lavelle (earlier)