Donald Trump has warned that he might pull out of the peace discussions “quite soon.”
If a truce agreement were reached between Russia and Ukraine
is not reached soon.
Addressing journalists at the White House, the U.S. President stated he
did not wish to leave the negotiationsunfinished
However, one would “decline” if parties complicate reaching an understanding.
“If for some reason one of the two sides creates significant difficulties, we will declare you as being foolish, and we’ll simply choose not to proceed,” Mr. Trump stated on Friday.
Asked how long he would be willing to wait before “moving on”, the US president said: “Very shortly”.
Mr. Trump maintained that there was still a “strong possibility” of reaching an agreement and stated
he was not being played by Russia.
“I’ve spent my entire life engaged in constant negotiations, and I can tell when people are trying to manipulate us versus when they’re being genuine,” he stated.
The remarks were made following statements from Marco Rubio,
The US Secretary of State stated on Friday: “This endeavor won’t drag on for weeks and months.”
We must swiftly ascertain within just a few days if this can be achieved over the coming weeks. Should it be feasible, we will proceed with it. Otherwise, we’ll also need to concentrate on other key priorities.
Mr. Trump has intensified his attempts to conclude the conflict but has thus far been unable to facilitate a complete cessation of hostilities between Moscow and Kyiv.
On Friday, the Kremlin announced that a 30-day halt to attacks on energy facilities and civilian infrastructures negotiated with the U.S. has come to an end. The Russian President did not issue instructions for extending this truce period. Each side blamed the other for multiple violations of the pact.
President Trump and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer discussed Ukraine during a telephone conversation on Friday afternoon.
Downing Street stated that the leaders started by talking about the continuous and fruitful talks between the UK and US regarding trade.
The leaders also addressed the circumstances in Ukraine, Iran, and the recent measures taken against the Houthis in Yemen.
In Italy, Joe Biden’s deputy president, JD Vance, stated, “There is an optimism that we might be able to potentially conclude this conflict, this extremely harsh war.”
Mr. Vance had a meeting with Giorgia Meloni,
The Italian Prime Minister, located at the Chigi Palace in Rome, will have a meeting on Saturday with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who holds the second-highest position within the Catholic Church.
On Thursday, high-ranking officials from the U.S., UK, France, Germany, and Ukraine convened in Paris to address a potential ceasefire agreement. The discussions featured Mr. Rubio along with Mr. Trump’s representative, Steve Witkoff.
David Lammy, the Minister of Foreign Affairs,
And Jonathan Powell, who served as the National Security Advisor, spoke for the UK.
A European official who was updated on the discussions informed Bloomberg that the U.S. had shared an overview of their proposal aimed at concluding the conflict, which would involve acknowledging Russia’s territorial acquisitions in Ukraine.
European officials insisted they would not accept Moscow’s gains as legitimate.
The source additionally mentioned that the US was ready to remove sanctions on Moscow with the aim of establishing a ceasefire, an objective Washington aims to accomplish within several weeks.
Ukraine’s
long-held dream of becoming part of NATO
It would also be removed from consideration, the source mentioned additionally.
According to reports from the meeting, European officials emphasized that Ukraine needs to receive security assurances to stop Russia from potentially reigniting the conflict.
Mr. Rubio stated that seeking security assurances wasn’t an “unjustified wish” from Ukraine, though discussions hadn’t progressed to such specifics yet.
“Each country in the world has the right to protect itself. Ukraine also has the right to safeguard itself and to form individual agreements with various nations as per its choosing,” he stated to journalists.
This indicates that additional efforts are required as delegates from every nation will convene once more in London next week to engage in further talks aimed at achieving a truce.
Strained relations
Earlier on Friday, the Kremlin stated that some advancements were achieved toward ending the conflict; however, they noted that interactions with the U.S. continued to be challenging.
“Managing contacts is rather intricate since, of course, the subject matter isn’t simple,” stated Dmitry Peskov, who speaks for Vladimir Putin.
“Russia is committed to resolving this conflict, ensuring its own interests, and is open to dialogue. We continue to do this.”
On Friday morning, Russia launched attacks on Ukrainian cities, resulting in at least two deaths and injuries to numerous others.
A Russian assault on Kharkiv
damaged dozens of homes and injured 70 people, including a two-year-old child, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Another person died in an attack on the city of Sumy, where a projectile hit a bakery. Russian missiles and drones also targeted Kyiv and Dnipro.
“This is how Russia marked this Good Friday — by launching ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and Shaheds, which injured our citizens and devastated our cities,” stated Mr. Zelensky.
07:03 PM BST
That’s all for today
Thank you for joining us in our live coverage of the conflict in Ukraine. The fighting has come to an end.
We’ll return shortly with additional updates and insights from the ongoing conflict.
06:54 PM BST
Kyiv and Washington sign memorandum of intent over minerals deal
Kyiv and Washington have entered into an agreement of intent concerning a long-awaited minerals deal.
This represents the last phase prior to completing the agreement, which would grant the U.S. entry into Ukraine’s natural gas reserves, before it gets formally signed off.
Ukraine’s Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko stated that the document “opens the path for an Economic Partnership Agreement and the creation of the Investment Fund for Rebuilding Ukraine.”
06:16 PM BST
Trump: I’m not being played
Donald Trump maintains that he isn’t being “played” by either Russia or Ukraine as the U.S. aims for a truce between the two nations within several weeks.
“My whole life has been one big negotiation and I know when people are playing us and when they are not,” he told reporters in the White House.
I sense a desire to conclude the war on both ends. It appears there is such eagerness — I believe this zeal comes from either side.
When asked whether he believed the Russians were manipulating the U.S., he responded, “No one is manipulating me. My aim is to assist.”
The President of the United States proceeded to state, “We’ve got a pretty solid opportunity” when discussing the possibility of reaching an agreement.
“It’s reaching a climax at this moment,” he said additionally.
05:51 PM BST
The US will ‘decline to participate’ in peace negotiations, warns Trump.
Donald Trump stated that he doesn’t wish to abandon discussions aimed at ending the conflict in Ukraine. However, he also noted that they would “opt out” if the involved parties make it too challenging to reach an agreement.
“We aim to stop it, preferably. However, should either party make things extremely challenging for us, we will simply declare them foolish, idiots, and awful individuals before choosing not to proceed,” he stated additionally.
But let’s hope we won’t have to go through with that. AndMarcois correct when he says this—we want it all to come to an end. People die from it daily;it happenswhile others engage in their games. Therefore,we refuse to acceptthat situation,and we willaddress it.We’llsee;I believe we standa fairchance ofsolvingthe issue,however.
The U.S. President stated that there was still a “high probability” of reaching an agreement.
05:38 PM BST
The US remains ‘hopeful’ about concluding the conflict in Ukraine, according to Vance
JD Vance has expressed hopefulness that discussions with Russia might conclude the “extremely harsh” conflict in Ukraine.
Before meeting with Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome, the U.S. Vice President stated, “Even over the last day, we believe there are some intriguing developments to share.”
Earlier on Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio cautioned that Washington would withdraw from peace negotiations “within days” unless significant progress was achieved soon.
Following his meetings with European officials in Paris, Mr. Rubio stated, “This effort won’t drag on for weeks and months.”
“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.”
05:15 PM BST
Russian peace advocate sentenced to two and a half years in prison
A 19-year-old anti-war advocate named Darya Kozyreva was sentenced by a St Petersburg court on Friday for “disparaging” the Russian armed forces multiple times.
Kozyreva was arrested following her placement of a floral tribute at a memorial for Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko. Alongside it, she left a hand-written passage from one of his works during the commemoration of the second year since Russia’s attack began.
In court, she quoted one of Shevchenko’s poems in Ukrainian and expressed her hope that Ukraine would someday reclaim all territories annexed by Russia, as reported by Novaya Gazeta.
04:52 PM BST
Zelensky states that Chinese firms under sanctions assisted Russia in manufacturing missiles.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on Friday that Chinese firms sanctioned by Kyiv were implicated in the manufacturing of Russian Iskander missiles.
“Today, we’ve extended our sanctions targeting Ukrainians to include almost a hundred additional entities—both individuals and corporations—most of which are implicated in the manufacturing of missiles similar to the Iskander rockets that hit Kharkiv,” stated Zelensky in an announcement on X.
“Many of these organizations are Russian, but regrettably, some also originate from China,” he stated.
Earlier, China’s foreign ministry dismissed accusations as “unfounded,” stating that China has not provided any lethal weaponry to Russia or any other parties involved in the Ukraine conflict. They maintained that their nation has always refrained from supplying deadly arms to those engaged in the Ukrainian crisis.
04:35 PM BST
Vance encounters Meloni in Rome
Credit: Reuters
Credit: Reuters
04:15 PM BST
Australian to face court for battling with Ukraine
The Russian-backed administration in eastern Ukraine’s Luhansk area announced on Friday that Australian citizen Oscar Jenkins will face a trial for combatting Russia alongside Ukraine.
“The Prosecution Service of the Luhansk People’s Republic has authorized the charges in the criminal case involving 33-year-old Australian citizen Oscar Charles Augustus Jenkins,” stated the officials in their announcement.
04:07 PM BST
The prisoner exchange will occur on Saturday.
Russia and Ukraine are set to carry out another prisoner exchange on Saturday, facilitated by the United Arab Emirates, according to a source involved in the talks who spoke with Reuters.
Almost 500 Russian and Ukrainian captives along with 46 wounded troops are set for an exchange in the most recent swap facilitated by Abu Dhabi.
According to the source, the prisoner swap will include 246 individuals from each side.
Since Russia’s invasion in February 2022, Kyiv and Moscow have often swapped prisoners, with the UAE facilitating 13 mediation efforts.
The combined number of captives exchanged with the help of UAE mediation has reached 3,233.
04:02 PM BST
The US is ready to acknowledge Russian territorial acquisitions, according to a report.
A US peace plan proposed would allow Russia to keep territories it has controlled since 2014 and would lead to reduced sanctions against Moscow, according to an anonymous European official speaking with Bloomberg.
U.S. officials allegedly informed their European colleagues during a gathering in Paris this week that they are aiming for a complete cessation of hostilities within a few weeks.
This proposal would also put an end to Ukraine’s ambitions of joining NATO.
It remains uncertain whether the US is ready to legally acknowledge Russian sovereignty over the areas it has seized control of.
03:32 PM BST
Chronology of U.S. Efforts to Conclude the War in Ukraine
February 12th:
Trump engages in a 90-minute phone conversation with Vladimir Putin regarding a potential truce agreement.
February 15th:
U.S. and Russian representatives begin discussions in Saudi Arabia aimed at concluding the conflict.
February 28th:
Zelensky travels to Washington to sign a minerals deal. The talks collapse after Zelensky and US vice president JD Vance argue on live TV.
March 3rd:
Washington halts military assistance to Kiev.
March 11th:
In Saudi Arabia, Ukrainian and U.S. officials hold meetings, during which Ukraine agrees to the U.S.-proposed truce.
March 13th:
Putin attempts to include additional terms in his ceasefire proposal, such as halting weapon deliveries to Ukraine.
March 18th:
Moscow consents to a one-month halt on assaults targeting energy facilities.
March 30th:
Trump says he is “pissed off” with Putin over his failure to make concessions.
Russia and Ukraine blame each other for violating the energy cease-fire agreement.
April 15th:
Ambassador Steve Witkoff, representing Trump, met with Putin in Saint Petersburg and commended the “productive” discussions regarding a potential long-term peace agreement.
April 18th:
Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State, cautions that the US might withdraw from the discussions within days because of insufficient advancement.
02:58 PM BST
Ukraine’s drone commander states Russia has ‘many more traitors to be concerned about.’
A high-ranking officer in Ukraine’s military stated that the country is achieving increasingly precise drone attacks on Russian military targets due to an extensive informant network.
Yuriy Shchyhol, a general in the Ukrainian intelligence staff, said that Russian informants were helping them to guide their drones deep into enemy territory.
“The first thing is the quality of guidance systems that are located on their territory, from which you can gather that there are a lot more traitors on their land than they can recruit in Ukraine,” Shchyhol told the Kyiv Independent.
“In Ukraine, these are isolated incidents… by the effectiveness of our drones, you can tell that they have far more traitors to worry about, because there are far more people who set up the special systems that guide our drones,” he said.
01:43 PM BST
Shown: The aftermath of the nighttime attacks in Kharkiv.
01:03 PM BST
More than 900 deceased Ukrainian soldiers’ bodies have been returned.
On Friday, Kyiv announced that it had received the remains of numerous Ukrainian soldiers who were killed in combat against Russian forces. This marks the second such return of bodies within a period of three weeks.
A Ukrainian governmental organization shared on social media: “Due to repatriation efforts, the remains of 909 deceased Ukrainian servicemen have been brought back to Ukraine.”
On March 28, both nations carried out a comparable prisoner swap, where Kyiv received an equal number of individuals, which was 909, whereas Moscow got 43 people, as reported by Russian state media.
01:01 PM BST
Vance expresses optimism regarding the state of negotiations
The US Vice President JD Vance met with Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for the second time within 24 hours.
He stated that the United States remains hopeful it can bring an end to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Mr Vance saw Ms Meloni in Washington on Thursday, and the two have since flown to the Italian capital ahead of the Easter holidays.
The U.S. vice president informed journalists: “I aim to brief the prime minister about certain discussions between Russia and Ukraine… within just the last day, we believe there are some noteworthy developments to share.”
He stated, “Given that the negotiations are ongoing, I won’t pre-judge them. However, we remain hopeful that we might be able to bring this extremely harsh war to an end.”
11:57 AM BST
Russia targets crucial drone production sites in Ukraine
On Friday morning, Russian forces struck crucial drone production sites in Ukraine and seized the town of Valentynivka in the east, according to the Russian defense ministry.
The assertion has yet to be confirmed by independent parties.
11:23 AM BST
The order to avoid hitting energy targets has ‘lapsed,’ according to the Kremlin.
A 30-day pause on attacking Ukraine’s energy facilities mandated by Russian President Vladimir Putin has ended, according to statements from the Kremlin on Friday.
On March 18, Russia declared a ceasefire after a conversation between Putin and Donald Trump. Nonetheless, both Moscow and Kyiv have frequently blamed each other for violating this agreement.
Dmitry Peskov, the spokesperson for the Kremlin, informed journalists: “The specified period has come to an end. Up until now, we haven’t received further directives from the supreme commander-in-chief, President Putin.”
One of the limited pledges extracted by Trump during his efforts to mediate a truce in the three-year war was the brief cessation of hostilities agreed upon with Russia.
11:13 AM BST
Kremlin Reports ‘Progress’ in Peace Negotiations
On Friday, the Kremlin stated that some advancements have been achieved in discussions regarding a potential peace agreement aimed at ending the conflict in Ukraine. Nevertheless, they also noted that interactions with the United States remain complex.
Dmitry Peskov, the spokesperson for the Kremlin, informed journalists: “The communications are rather intricate since, of course, the subject matter is not a simple one.”
Russia remains dedicated to addressing this conflict, safeguarding its own interests, and is ready for discussions. We will keep pursuing this course.
Mr. Peskov mentioned that they have achieved some advancement regarding the provisional ceasefire for attacks on energy facilities; however, he noted that Ukraine has failed to comply with this agreement.
He stated, “Thus, some advancements have indeed been made; however, it’s clear that numerous intricate debates lie ahead.”
11:04 AM BST
Ukraine thwarts a motorcycle assault by 100 fighters
In the frontline battle in Donbas, Ukraine successfully repelled a Russian attack primarily composed of motorcycle-riding troops, as reported by the Kyiv Post.
Ukrainian military authorities reported that their forces obliterated nearly a hundred motorcycles during the assault, along with eliminating approximately 200 Russian troops.
In addition, 21 armored personnel carriers were annihilated.
Apparently, using motorcycles is a novel strategy employed by Russians. This approach enables troops to disperse rapidly and reduce their vulnerability to drone attacks or artillery bombardments.
Recently, Ukraine has reported minor territorial advancements in Donbas; however, they also mentioned that Russia is intensifying its efforts to seize more territory through extensive assaults.
10:49 AM BST
Watch: Rubio Threatens to Quit Peace Talks
Credit: Reuters
10:21 AM BST
View: Missile attack on Kharkiv
Credit: @ZelenskyyUa/X
10:10 AM BST
The Ukrainian Prime Minister will travel to the U.S. next week to discuss a minerals agreement.
The Ukrainian Prime Minister is set to travel to Washington next week for discussions with leading US officials. The objective of these meetings is to secure a minerals and resources agreement by April 26th, as stated in a memo issued on Friday.
The document released by the Ukrainian government stated: “In the week beginning April 21st, 2025, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal will travel to Washington, D.C., where he will hold talks with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and provide top-tier backing for finalizing the technical negotiations.”
“Negotiating teams are expected to report on the progress by April 26th, 2025, with the aim of completing discussions by that date and signing as soon as possible.”
10:05 AM BST
Pictures: Aftermath of Russian bombing
09:53 AM BST
He rescued me. I’ll always remember it.
Approximately 17,000 Ukrainian children have become orphans due to Russia’s invasion of their nation since 2022.
The Telegraph spoke with Katya, a 14-year-old girl who lost her mother when the war began.
Remembering the assault that took the life of her mother, she stated, “The situation was overwhelming. The individual who shielded me didn’t make it through. He passed away due to the attack. His actions protected me. That moment remains etched in my memory.”
Find the complete report here.
09:41 AM BST
China describes Zelensky’s claims about weapon supplies as ‘unfounded.’
China’s foreign ministry dismissed Volodymyr Zelensky’s claim that the nation had been providing arms to Russia as “unfounded.”
Lian Jian, the spokesperson for the ministry, stated on Friday, “China’s stance regarding the situation in Ukraine remains consistent. They have consistently worked towards facilitating an end to hostilities and resolving the dispute through dialogue.”
He further mentioned that China disagrees with baseless allegations and political maneuvering. Additionally, he pointed out that Ukraine has stated publicly that the majority of components found in weapons imported by Russia originated from the United States and various Western countries.
On Thursday, Mr Zelensky said that China was supplying weapons and gunpowder to Russia, and also accused it of producing weapons on Russian territory.
09:36 AM BST
Talks on US-Ukraine mineral deal ‘to be finalised next week’
Kiev stated on Friday that they aim to finalize negotiations by the following weekend regarding an agreement with Washington for joint exploitation of Ukraine’s mineral resources.
On late Thursday, both the U.S. and Ukrainian administrations inked a memorandum of intent.
As stated in the memo released by the Ukrainian administration on Friday, the negotiations for the concluding agreement should be finalized by April 26.
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