Senior Ukrainian government members traveled to Paris for negotiations aimed at reaching a cease-fire agreement alongside U.S. and European representatives. During their visit, they had discussions with key figures such as French President Emmanuel Macron, prominent American diplomat Marco Rubio, and White House representative Steve Witkoff. Overnight, missile strikes carried out by Russian drones throughout Ukraine resulted in the death of at least six individuals and caused injuries among many others. Moscow has issued warnings to Berlin regarding potential arms shipments of long-range Taurus missiles to Kyiv. In aerial combat during the night, both sides managed to shoot down numerous unmanned aircraft.
These are the most recent updates regarding Russia’s conflict with Ukraine as of Thursday, April 17:
Zelenskyy charges China with supplying arms to Russia
The Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, charged China with providing arms to Russia.
It is the latest escalation between Kyiv and Beijing over China’s support for Moscow, after Zelenskyy sounded the alarm on 155 Chinese nationals allegedly deployed to assist Moscow’s invasion and the claim that the Ukrainian army had captured two Chinese soldiers in the eastern Donetsk region.
“China has started providing arms to the Russian Federation,” Zelensky informed reporters during a press briefing in Kyiv.
Zelensky did not elaborate on his accusations, saying only that Kyiv was “ready” to talk about them in detail.
“We believe that Chinese representatives are engaged in the production of some weapons on Russian territory,” he added.
China has asserted its neutrality in the three-year conflict, rebutting Ukraine’s statements from last week by asserting that all parties involved should avoid making “reckless comments.”
The US asserts that France should take the initiative for European defense.
On Thursday, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called for an increase in France’s military expenditure.
These comments arise amid tense relationships between continents due to President Donald Trump’s dedication to NATO.
Sebastien Lecornu, France’s Defense Minister, traveled to Washington D.C. to discuss multiple topics with U.S. officials, such as the situation involving Iran and the ongoing hostilities in both Ukraine and Gaza.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell stated that “The secretary encouraged France to boost its defense expenditure and, together with other NATO partners, assume principal accountability for the conventional security of Europe.”
Secretary Hegseth and Minister Lecornu also talked about connected goals, such as the continuous initiatives aimed at achieving a lasting peace in Ukraine.
While in Washington, Lecornu was anticipated to hold meetings with Keith Kellogg, who served as Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine, along with Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, focusing on discussions about the Ukraine conflict.
Trump states Zelenskyy isn’t accountable for the Russian invasion.
U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Thursday that he does not consider Volodymyr Zelenskyy responsible for Russia’s attack on Ukraine.
However, Trump continued to criticize the Ukrainian president. “Although I do not blame Zelenskyy, I am not particularly pleased about the outbreak of that war,” Trump stated at the White House during a meeting with the visiting Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
What I’m trying to convey is that his performance hasn’t been top-notch; however, I don’t hold him responsible for this. As far as I’m concerned, we aren’t exactly supporters of his work.
Trump has repeatedly made the false claim that Ukraine started the war. Just this week he accused Zelenskyy of responsibility for “millions” of deaths.
as Trump hinted that a minerals deal with Ukraine was in the works.
Kyiv and Washington had been close to signing a deal until
The encounter during the White House Oval Office meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy
temporarily derailed those talks.
“We’ve got a minerals agreement that will likely get signed next Thursday. It should happen soon, and I expect them to uphold their end of the bargain. We’ll just have to wait and see. However, we do have an arrangement in place for now,” Trump stated to journalists at the White House.
Zelensky alleges that Trump’s representative is propagating Russian narratives.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized US envoy Steve Witkoff for suggesting that a peace deal with Russia depended on the status of Ukraine’s occupied territories.
“I feel that Mr. Witkoff has adopted the approach of the Russian side. This is quite risky, as he might be inadvertently or deliberately promoting Russian propaganda,” Zelenskyy informed reporters.
The Ukrainian president’s comments come after Witkoff met Vladimir Putin in Saint Petersburg last Friday. Witkoff spoke to US broadcaster Fox News on Monday on the matter, saying that a peace settlement hinged on the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson and Crimea. Russia claims to have annexed these territories and has said it wants this control over the regions to be recognized as part of any peace deal.
“I don’t see him as having a mandate to discuss Ukrainian territories, because our territories belong to our people, not only to us, but to future Ukrainians. So I don’t understand what he is talking about at all,” Zelenskyy added.
Macron praises talks among EU, US and Ukraine
French President Emmanuel Macron hailed the meeting of top US, European and Ukrainian officials as a “very important occasion for convergence.”
The remarks come as Ukraine’s allies are looking to restart stalled ceasefire efforts amid transatlantic tensions.
Macron has assumed the role of coordinator for Europe’s efforts in supporting Ukraine, encompassing actions throughout the ongoing conflict as well as planning for what comes next.
“This marks a significant moment of alignment,” Macron stated in English following an luncheon hosted with US Secretary Marco Rubio and US envoy Steve Witkoff earlier that day.
The gatherings in Paris are occurring mere days following Witkoff’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Macron stated that everyone desires genuine and enduring peace.
The head of staff for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Andriy Yermak, along with Foreign Minister Andriy Smyha and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, were present in Paris to engage in discussions with representatives from Europe and the USA.
Britain and Germany’s national security advisors were also in Paris, the French presidency said, adding that another round of talks is planned to take place in London next week.
Russia warns Ukrainian Taurus missile strikes would make Germany ‘direct’ participant in war
Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has warned that the use of German Taurus missiles to target Russian infrastructure would make Germany a “direct” participant in the war.
Such a “strike against any Russian facility of critical transport infrastructure … all of this would be regarded as direct participation of Germany in hostilities,” Zakharova told reporters.
Germany’s presumptive next chancellor, Friedrich Merz, has said he is open to green lighting deliveries of the missile to help Ukraine in its war against Russia.
Ukraine requested the missiles as early as 2023, but the following spring, a majority in the outgoing coalition government and in Germany’s parliament, the Bundestag, said they were against the proposalamid fears it could escalate the conflict.
Kremlin claims Europe wants to continue Ukraine war
The Kremlin representative, Dmitry Peskov, stated that Steve Witkoff, an envoy from the White House, will brief European and Ukrainian representatives about the advancements in peace negotiations when they convene in Paris on Thursday.
Last week, Witkoff met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow as the U.S. seeks to
broker a full ceasefire
to end the three-year war.
“The United States is continuing to work in this direction with the Europeans and with the Ukrainians,” Peskov said.
He further stated, ‘Sadly, what we observe from the Europeans is an emphasis on sustaining the conflict.’
Ukraine’s European allies have grown concerned over the Trump administration’s increasingly friendly ties with Moscow and its weakening support for Kyiv.
Donald Trump has repeatedly blamed Ukraine for starting the war, and last month briefly suspended US intelligence support to Kyiv.
Ahead of the Paris meetings, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for more “pressure” to be put on Russia.
“Russia uses every day and every night to kill. We must put pressure on the killers … to end this war and guarantee a lasting peace,” Zelensky said on Telegram.
At least six people were killed and dozens more were injured across Ukraine in an overnight barrage of Russian missiles and drones.
Three people died in Dnipro, two in Nikopol and one in Kherson, according to Ukrainian officials.
40% of Ukraine’s weapons made domestically — Zelenskyy
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that Ukraine is increasing its local arms manufacturing amid the ongoing three-year conflict with the invading Russian troops.
During a meeting with officials from the defense sector on Wednesday, Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine is producing more than 1,000 types of weaponry. This includes everything from artillery shells to missiles and extended-range arms, along with various unmanned aerial vehicles.
“Over 40% of all the weapons used at the front to defend our country are produced in Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said, according to a statement from the Ukrainian Presidential Office.
While Ukraine is stepping up domestic arms manufacturing, the president acknowledged that the country is still heavily reliant on foreign military aid, in particular for tanks, armored vehicles and air defense systems.
Zelenskyy last week said Ukraine was ready to purchase 10 US-made Patriot air defense systems to defend itself against escalating Russian drone and missile strikes.
US President Donald Trump, however, appeared to dismiss those remarks, saying Zelenskyy is “always looking to purchase missiles” and falsely claiming Ukraine had initiated the conflict.
“You don’t start a war against someone 20 times your size and then hope that people give you some missiles,” Trump said at the White House on Monday.
Ukrainian, US, European officials in Paris for ceasefire talks
Senior Ukrainian officials were in Paris on Thursday to meet with delegations from the United States and Europe to discuss a potential ceasefire in the Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andrii Yermak said on X that he and Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov had landed in the French capital, where they will meet delegations from France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States.
According to a statement from Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry, officials will address a possible comprehensive ceasefire in the conflict within Ukraine, along with plans for an international peacekeeping presence and a security structure following the conclusion of the war.
“We are working on critical issues for the security of Ukraine and all of Europe,” Yermak said.
Yermak mentioned that Ukrainian officials were scheduled to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff. Additionally, these representatives will be meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday.
The assembly in Paris follows a string of recent Russian airstrikes and drone assaults on various Ukrainian urban areas.
On Sunday, at least 35 individuals lost their lives in the northeastern Ukrainian town of Sumy. Additionally, at least three people died as a result of a drone attack on Dnipro that occurred last night.
US President Donald Trump has pledged to end the three-year long war quickly, and has sought to apply pressure on both Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
A 30-day partial truce regarding energy facilities, mediated by the U.S. last month, was undermined as clashes persisted. This week, Kyiv alleged that Moscow breached the accord over 30 occasions.
Russian attack on Dnipro results in 3 deaths and 30 injuries
A minimum of three individuals, one being a young girl, died and around 30 others were hurt when a Russian drone attacked Dnipro, according to the region’s governor on Thursday.
A large-scale strike by an unmanned aerial vehicle resulted in devastating outcomes. Three individuals lost their lives in Dnipro, one of whom was a child,” stated Serhiy Lysak via Telegram, also mentioning that out of the 30 wounded, five were children.
One of the injured is in a serious condition, he said, while 16 were being treated by doctors.
About 12 residential apartment blocks were damaged during the attack.
Ukraine’s emergency responders reported multiple blazes erupting throughout the city due to the attack.
One of multiple attacks occurred overnight as Ukraine’s Air Force blamed Russia for deploying five missiles and 75 drones against various targets, including Dnipro.
“Donetsk, Kharkiv, Sumy and Dnipropetrovsk regions were affected by the enemy attack,” it said in a statement on Telegram, which added that 25 drones were shot down and 30 had disappeared from radar screens without causing damage.
Russia’s defense ministry, meanwhile, said its air defense systems had intercepted and destroyed 71 Ukrainian drones last night, 49 of which were over the Kursk border region.
The drones also struck targets deep inside Russia, including one in Shuya, in the Ivanovo region east of Moscow.
It was the second night in a row that Shuya, which lies around 1,150 km (715 miles) from the Ukrainian border, was attacked.
Welcome to our coverage
Senior Ukrainian officials were in Paris on Thursday to meet with delegations from the United States and Europe to discuss a potential ceasefire in the war in Ukraine.
The meeting comes after a series of recent Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities, including last Sunday’s strike on Sumy which killed at least 35 people.
French President Emmanual Macron is also expected to meet with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House envoy Steve Witkoff in Paris.
Ukraine and Russia shot down numerous drones throughout the night, meanwhile, a Russian attack on Dnipro left three individuals injured along with over 30 others.
The ongoing efforts by U.S. President Donald Trump to exert influence on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian leader Vladimir Putin have not succeeded in stopping the conflicts.
