Russia’s top economic negotiator has claimed that some countries are trying to disrupt Moscow’s “very useful” dialogue with the United States, as senior European and US officials meet in Paris to push for peace in Ukraine.
As Donald Trump’s reported Easter deadline for a truce rapidly approaches, his secretary of state Marco Rubio and Moscow-friendly envoy Steve Witkoff are in the French capital for what Washington billed as talks with French officials over the war in Ukraine.
Ramping up pressure on Washington, a previously unannounced delegation from Kyiv said it was also travelling to Paris on Thursday to meet with officials from the US, Britain, France and Germany to discuss a ceasefire, peacekeeping force and other security measures.
With the talks under way, Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev was quoted as telling reporters: “There are a lot of people, structures, countries trying to disrupt our dialogue with the United States. There is a very active propaganda against Russia going on in the United States in various mass media.”
Hours before the delegations arrived, Ukrainian officials said a child was among three people killed and 31 injured as Vladimir Putin’s forces launched a devastating drone attack on the city of Dnipro.
Key Points
- Top Trump allies in Paris for Ukraine peace talks – as Kyiv officials make unannounced visit
- Putin negotiator claims countries trying to ‘disrupt’ US-Russian dialogue
- Mass drone attack kills three and injures at least 31 in Dnipro
- Kyiv says Ukraine and US make ‘substantial progress’ on minerals deal
- Report identifies almost 102,000 Russian soldiers as killed in Ukraine war
Top Zelensky aide shares update on talks in Paris
16:32 , Andy GregoryAs US officials hold talks in Paris with their Ukrainian, French, German and British counterparts, Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak has said that the delegations discussed a ceasefire and security guarantees for Kyiv.
He said: “We exchanged views on the next steps toward achieving a just and lasting peace, including the implementation of a full ceasefire, the involvement of a multinational military contingent, and the development of an effective security architecture for Ukraine.”
Trump tariffs on Russian oil could force Putin to negotiating table, says ex-British Army commander
15:59 , Andy GregoryRussia’s recent attacks on Ukraine show Vladimir Putin has no interest in ending the war but he could be forced to the negotiating table if Donald Trump were to impose tariffs on Russian oil, a former British Army commander has suggested.
Speaking to Sky News, Hamish de Bretton-Gordon noted that Mr Trump “seems to tariff everybody else”, adding: “But if oil, which is the bedrock of Putin's economy and is allowing him to keep on fighting, drops to a price where he can no longer do that and Trump has the ability to do it, then these are things the Americans can do.
“I think that would bring Putin to the negotiation table. But at the moment he's happy to fight on because he thinks he's winning.”
Zelensky warns Russia could attack Ukraine's energy grid ahead of Easter
15:39 , Andy GregoryUkrainian intelligence suggests Russia could be preparing to launch new attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure prior to and following Orthodox Easter, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has warned – despite a flimsy US-brokered ceasefire on such attacks.
Praising Ukrainian energy workers for preventing blackouts over the winter months, Mr Zelensky said on Telegram: “We know what Russia is preparing for. Now, ahead of Easter, and after it, new Russian attacks are possible.
“We will continue to defend our country, our energy sector.”
Russian contacts with Trump envoy Witkoff are 'very productive', Putin's negotiator says
15:07 , Andy GregoryVladimir Putin’s latest meeting with Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff was extremely productive, Vladimir Putin’s top economic negotiator has said.
Following a five-hour meeting between Mr Putin and Mr Witkoff in St Petersburg on Friday, Kirill Dmitriev – who is head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund – told reporters: “The meeting was extremely productive.”
“A lot of people, structures, and countries are trying to disrupt our dialogue with the United States," he said, adding “There is a very useful dialogue going on. It is certainly going on in very difficult conditions - constant attacks and constant misinformation.”
After the meeting with Mr Putin, Mr Witkoff – a former real estate mogul, who has praised the Russian president as “super smart” and not a “bad guy” – told Fox News that it had become clear what Mr Putin wanted for a permanent peace in Ukraine.
“I think that we might be on the verge of something that would be very, very important for the world at large,” Mr Witkoff told Fox, adding that there were also some “very compelling commercial opportunities” in the Russia-US relationship.
According to reports, Mr Witkoff has told Mr Trump that the fastest way to end the war would be for Ukraine to cede control of four regions only partially controlled by Russia – regions which Mr Witkoff himself was recently unable to name correctly.
Russia says use of Taurus missiles against it would make Germany a direct participant in Ukraine conflict
14:59 , Andy GregoryRussian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova has claimed that the use of Taurus missiles to strike critical Russian infrastructure would be considered direct participation by Germany in the Ukrainian conflict.
Russia has on many occasions used such threats against Ukraine’s allies in a bid to prevent them supplying military aid to Kyiv to defend against Vladimir Putin’s invasion.
Incoming German chancellor Friedrich Merz has said he supports supplying Ukraine with the German-made cruise missiles.
Trump sees Meloni as valuable interlocutor with Europe on trade and Nato, US official says
14:44 , Andy GregoryDonald Trump views Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni as a valuable intermediary with Europe on trade, Nato spending and other issues, a senior US official has said, ahead of a meeting between the two leaders.
Mr Trump and Ms Meloni have “a very special relationship” and plan to work together on issues such as ending the war in Ukraine, Reuters quoted the official as telling reporters.
US State Department says Paris talks aimed at ‘stopping the bloodshed’
14:32 , Andy GregoryUS secretary of state Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff’s lunch discussions with Emmanuel Macron and ensuing talks with European counterparts this afternoon are aimed at advancing Donald Trump’s “goal to end the Russia-Ukraine war and stop the bloodshed”, US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce has said.
Countries trying to 'disrupt' Russia's talks with US, Putin's negotiator claims
14:22 , Andy GregoryRussia’s top economic negotiator has claimed that some countries are trying to “disrupt” Moscow’s talks with the United States, and hit out at what he claimed was “active propaganda” from US media outlets.
Kirill Dmitriev, the head of Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, was quoted by Agence France-Presse as telling reporters: “There are a lot of people, structures, countries trying to disrupt our dialogue with the United States.
“There is a very active propaganda against Russia going on in the United States in various mass media.”
Jean-Claude Van Damme says he wants to visit Russia as 'ambassador of peace'
13:59 , Andy GregoryJean-Claude Van Damme has told Vladimir Putin that he would be “honoured” to visit Russia as an “ambassador of peace”.
According to Sky News, the Hollywood star said in a video posted to Telegram by a pro-Russian journalist from Ukraine: “We want to come to Russia. We'll try to do this the way you want to do this – to be an ambassador of peace.”
“I would be honored to have this title,” Van Damme was quoted by the Russian state news agency Tass as saying, adding that he would like to talk with the Russian leadership “only about peace, sport and happiness”.
ICYMI: Soldier jailed by Russia after he voluntarily surrendered to Ukraine
13:40 , Andy GregoryA Russian soldier has been jailed for 15 years after he deserted the military and voluntarily surrendered to Ukraine, in what is a Russian military court’s first such prosecution of a crime first introduced in September 2022.
According to the Kommersant newspaper, a court on the far eastern Russian island of Sakhalin found soldier Roman Ivanishin – who is a miner in civilian life, and denied all of the charges – guilty of voluntary surrender, of attempting to voluntarily surrender, and of desertion.
He will serve his sentence in a maximum security facility. Local media reported that his trial was held behind closed doors.
Felix Light reports:
Russian soldier jailed after voluntarily surrendering to Ukraine
Ukraine says ‘paths to fair and lasting peace’ discussed with UK, French and German officials in Paris
13:21 , Andy GregoryUkraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha has said that he and Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff discussed “the paths to a fair and lasting peace, including full ceasefire, multinational contingent, and security guarantees for Ukraine” in talks with British, French and German counterparts at the Elysee in Paris this morning.
According to a French schedule, the officials are set to meet again at 2pm along with Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and secretary of state Marco Rubio – who are currently having a working lunch with Emmanuel Macron.
Pictured: Macron meets Witkoff and Rubio for lunch at Elysee
13:05 , Andy GregoryEmmanuel Macron has been pictured welcoming Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and secretary of state Marco Rubio at the Elysee Palace for a working lunch, ahead of wider talks with counterparts from Ukraine, the UK and Germany.
Analysis | Trump has taken his deep grudge against Zelensky further than ever
12:58 , Andy GregoryWith senior US officials in Paris today for talks on Ukraine, our foreign affairs editor Sam Kiley has this analysis following Donald Trump’s latest remarks falsely accusing Volodymyr Zelensky of “starting” Russia’s war:
Former top Russian military official gets seven years in penal colony for taking bribes
12:41 , Andy GregoryThe former deputy head of the Russian military has been sentenced to seven years in a penal colony for accepting bribes worth £330,000.
Vadim Shamarin, a lieutenant-general, is one of a string of top officials charged in a series of corruption scandals that have engulfed the highest echelons of the Russian military establishment over the past year.
The prosecutions have been interpreted as signalling a drive by Vladimir Putin to clamp down on corruption, inefficiency and waste in Russia’s huge military budget as it wages war in Ukraine for a fourth year.
Russia's Investigative Committee said Shamarin, 53, took bribes worth 36 million roubles (£330,000) between 2019 and 2023 from a factory in the Ural mountains that produces communications equipment. In return, he increased the size of state contracts awarded to the firm. The Interfax news agency said the official had pleaded guilty.
Since 2020, Shamarin had been in charge of overseeing the Russian army’s Signal Corps, which is responsible for military communications, including ensuring confidential battlefield command signals. The court stripped him of his rank and banned him from public service for seven years.
The slew of scandals – the biggest to hit the Russian army in years – includes criminal cases against former deputy defence ministers Timur Ivanov, Pavel Popov and Dmitry Bulgakov. All served under Sergei Shoigu, who was defence minister until being replaced in a reshuffle last year and moved to a new role as secretary of Russia’s Security Council.
Lammy not expected to hold Paris press conference during flurry of diplomacy on Ukraine, report says
12:18 , Andy GregoryUK foreign secretary David Lammy is unlikely to make any significant public-facing appearances today as he engages in talks in Paris with his US, French and German counterparts, Politico reports.
The outlet suggests that the UK delegation’s efforts today will be aimed at pushing for a “coalition of the willing” to lead a peacekeeping force in Ukraine while trying to discern the increasingly Moscow-friendly administration in Washington’s next moves regarding a ceasefire in Ukraine.
Russia claims capture of village in Donetsk
11:52 , Andy GregoryRussia’s defence ministry claims its forces have captured the village of Preobrazhenka in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, Russian state news agency Tass reported.
While Russia has been making grinding gains for months in eastern Ukraine, Moscow frequently claims to have seized settlements over which it does not yet have full control, while analysts at the US-based Institute for the Study of War noted this month that Ukrainian forces have recently regained lost positions in the direction of Pokrovsk and Toretsk – slowing Russia’s advances.
Day of Paris ceasefire talks kicks off as Trump envoy arrives at Elysee Palace
11:36 , Andy GregoryA day of talks in Paris is now under way, after Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and secretary of state Marco Rubio arrived in the French capital.
Emmanuel Macron’s foreign policy advisor Emmanuel Bonne hugged Mr Witkoff as he arrived at the French presidency's Elysee Palace, ahead of a lunch between Mr Macron, Mr Witkoff, and Mr Rubio.
Prior to that, Mr Bonne and his British and German counterparts met Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak. According to the French agenda for the day, Mr Yermak was also due to take part in a meeting with Mr Rubio, Mr Witkoff and the European envoys later on Thursday.
The arrival of a Ukrainian delegation in Paris was not previously announced ahead of what Washington had described as planned talks between Mr Rubio, Mr Witkoff and French officials.
Ukraine's PM urges allies to respond decisively to daily Russian attacks on civilians
11:10 , Andy GregoryUkraine’s prime minister Denis Shmyhal has condemned Russia’s “massive” drone attack on Dnipro, in which he said a 17-year-old girl was among the casualties. Officials have said three people were killed and 31 people injured.
The prime minister said: “Residential buildings, a medical educational institution and dormitories where students live have been damaged. The emergency services quickly extinguished the fire.”
Thanking the emergency services for their work, Mr Shmyhal said: “I am grateful to the defenders who are resisting russian air terror every day and every night. Only strong pressure can force the aggressor to make peace. We call on our partners to respond decisively to the daily shelling of Ukrainian cities and the killing of civilians.”
Two people were also killed in the nearby city of Nikopol in a Russian artillery attack, the regional governor said on Thursday.
Kremlin says Trump envoy Witkoff to inform Europeans on Ukraine
11:02 , Andy GregoryThe Kremlin has claimed that a meeting between the US, Ukraine and European countries in Paris is a chance for Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff to inform them of the current status of talks about the search for a peace settlement in Ukraine.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Vladimir Putin and Mr Witkoff – who has praised the Russian president as “super smart” and not “a bad guy” – had a long conversation last week.
“The United States is continuing to work in this direction with the Europeans and with the Ukrainians,” Mr Peskov said, claiming that Russia so far saw that European powers were focused on a continuation of the war which Moscow started in 2014 and intensified with its full-scale invasion in 2022.
How residents of Ukraine’s Sumy are rebuilding after the deadliest Russian attack this year
10:43 , Andy GregoryThe bustle of daily life in Ukraine’s Sumy makes it hard to believe that its people have faced a constant threat of death since Russia invaded their country three years ago.
Just days ago, Putin’s forces targeted the city centre in back-to-back missile strikes, killing 35 people and injuring over 100. It marked the deadliest attack on Ukrainian civilians this year.
Neighbours chatted in their apartment blocks, watching children play games in the courtyards. Pausing to look up, they would see the buzzing of attack drones and the familiar sounds of Ukrainian air defences before going back to their strange routine which is quickly becoming usual.
Sumy is only 18 miles from the border of Russia’s Kursk region, where Ukrainian soldiers continue to hold on to the strip of territory they took in a surprise offensive last summer. Residents of the city say there has been an increase in attacks in recent weeks, but none as devastating as Sunday’s airstrike which targeted a busy intersection.
Samya Kullab and Yehor Konovalov report:
How Ukraine’s Sumy is rebuilding after the deadliest Russian attack this year
Moldovan parliament votes to hold elections in September
10:38 , Andy GregoryMoldova’s parliament has voted to hold parliamentary elections on 28 September – with 57 politicians supporting the motion and 32 abstaining.
Moldova’s president Maia Sandu – who was re-elected in November in a ballot marked by allegations of Russian interference – is seeking to take her country into the European Union and away from the influence of Moscow.
Two killed and five wounded by Russian shelling in Nikopol, Ukraine says
10:17 , Andy GregoryTwo people have been killed and five others injured by Russian artillery fire against the Ukrainian city of Nikopol, the regional governor has said.
Serhii Lysak said two men – aged 56 and 61 – were killed in the heavy artillery fire, while four were in hospital in a serious condition.
The attacks sparked a fire, and damaged a shop, cafe, homes and cars, the Dnipropetrovsk governor said.
It comes hours after Mr Lysak said three people were killed and 31 injured in a Russian drone attack on Dnipro, some 70 miles to the north of Nikopol. Ukraine’s emergency services said 173 rescuers were called to assist in the aftermath of the attack.
Watch: Ministry of Defence's invisible radio wave weapon takes down drone swarms
09:54 , Andy GregoryBritish troops have successfully taken down multiple drones in a groundbreaking trial of a new directed energy weapon, marking a significant advancement in counter-drone technology.
The exercise, conducted at a testing facility in west Wales, represents the largest counter-drone swarm operation undertaken by the British Army, according to the Ministry of Defence.
The ministry has shared the below footage of the exercise:
US secretary of state touches down in Paris for talks on Ukraine
09:43 , Andy GregoryUS secretary of state Marco Rubio has arrived in Paris for what Washington had billed as talks with French officials on ending the war in Ukraine.
Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff – who has met with Vladimir Putin multiple times in recent months – is also due to attend the talks, but was not seen touching down alongside Mr Rubio in the French capital.
A delegation from Kyiv has also announced it will be visiting Paris on Thursday for talks with US, French, British and German officials. It did not specify whether Mr Rubio and Mr Witkoff were expected to attend those meetings.
BREAKER: US secretary of state Marco Rubio has arrived in Paris ahead of talks with European counterparts about the war in Ukraine.@AnnaJonesSky has the details
— Sky News (@SkyNews) April 17, 2025
Live updates ➡️ https://t.co/5pr22SmlSf
📺 Sky 501 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/lnYE1iJ6x9
Kyiv officials travel to Paris as Europeans plead Ukraine's case to top Trump allies
09:21 , Andy GregoryTop Ukrainian officials have flown to Paris, where Europeans are assembling to plead Kyiv's case to US secretary of state Marco Rubio and Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff.
The arrival of a Ukrainian delegation in Paris was not previously announced ahead of what Washington had described as planned talks between Mr Rubio, Mr Witkoff and French officials.
Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak said his delegation – which also included Ukraine's foreign minister and defence minister – would meet a US delegation as well as French, British and German officials, and would work on “important issues for the security of Ukraine and the whole of Europe”.
Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said: “The parties will discuss ways to achieve a complete ceasefire, the involvement of a multinational military contingent to guarantee sustainable peace, further development of Ukraine's security architecture and ensuring the security of our country.”
Ukraine claims to inflict 1,230 casualties in past day of fighting
09:09 , Andy GregoryUkraine has inflicted 1,230 casualties upon Vladimir Putin’s forces in the past 24 hours, while also damaging 16 tanks, 54 armoured vehicles and 65 artillery systems, Kyiv’s military has said.
In its daily morning update, the general staff of Ukraine’s armed forces reported 125 combat clashes along the frontline over the previous day, with the heaviest fighting situated in the direction of the Donetsk city of Pokrovsk – which has been the key target of Russia’s offensive efforts for months.
According to Ukraine’s military, Russia carried out 94 air strikes, deployed more than 2,750 kamikaze drones and fired more than 6,600 artillery shells over the same period.
Ten still in hospital after Dnipro attack wounds 31 and kills three people, governor says
08:42 , Andy GregoryThe number of people injured in the Russian drone attack on Dnipro has risen to 31, including 10 who are still in hospital, while three people – including a child – have been killed, the governor of Dnipropetrovsk has said.
Serhiy Lysak said people were clearing the rubble together on Thursday after their homes in a high-rise building were destroyed in the strike.
“Someone remembers how this building was built many decades ago, entire generations grew up here. A few steps away is a playground, where, along with toys and swings, there are cars destroyed by fire. And there is also rubble and blood,” Mr Lysak wrote on Telegram.
Warning that there are “many such locations around the city”, he added: “The enemy has once again committed terrible terror against local residents.”
Putin praises Elon Musk as visionary: ‘Such people rarely appear in the human population’
08:29 , Andy GregoryVladimir Putin has drawn a parallel between Elon Musk and a key figure in the Soviet space race, Sergei Korolev, praising the SpaceX founder as a visionary.
Speaking on Russia's space policy at a student meeting, Putin reportedly described Musk, a key adviser of US president Donald Trump, as “absolutely crazy about Mars”, according to state news agency Tass.
Mr Putin reportedly invoked the legacy of Korolev, the engineer behind Yuri Gagarin's historic 1961 spaceflight, to highlight the rarity of people like Musk.
Tass quoted Mr Putin as saying: “Such people rarely appear in the human population, charged with a certain idea. Even though it may seem incredible to me today, after a time such ideas are often realised.”
Felix Light has the full report:
Putin says Elon Musk a visionary: ‘Such people rarely appear in the human population’
Child among three killed and 30 wounded in Russian drone attack on Dnipro
08:20 , Andy GregoryA child is among three people who have been killed along with 30 others who were injured in a Russian drone attack on Dnipro, Ukrainian officials have said.
Serhiy Lysak, governor of Dnipropetrovsk region, said that 30 people had been wounded, including five children. Sixteen people were being treated in hospital.
Mayor Borys Filatov said one strike came within 100 metres of the municipal offices. He also said at least 15 homes had been damaged, as well as a student residence, an educational institution and a food processing plant.
Pictures posted online showed a large blaze and firefighters working at the scene well into the night, as well as gutted vehicles and buildings with smashed windows and damaged facades.
Ukrainian ministers arrive in Paris to meet US and European allies
08:00 , Arpan RaiUkraine's foreign minister and defence minister have arrived in Paris to meet US and European allies, the head of Ukrainian president's office, who is also a part of the delegation, said this morning.
"We are working on important issues for the security of Ukraine and the whole of Europe," Andriy Yermak said about the meetings planned with representatives from the US, France, Germany and Britain.
Ukraine strikes Russian town miles away from frontline for second day
07:59 , Arpan RaiUkraine has targeted Russia’s town of Shuya in an overnight attack for the second night in a row, officials in Moscow said.
In a statement posted on Telegram, the authorities in Russia's Ivanovo region, which is east of Moscow, said that Ukrainian drones had attacked the town of Shuya, but that no casualties or damage had been inflicted.
Shuya, which is around 1,150km (715 miles) from the Ukrainian border, hosts the base of a Russian missile brigade that Ukraine has blamed for a strike on the city of Sumy on Sunday that killed at least 35 people.
Russian Telegram channels were circulating videos that appeared to show the base being struck, and at least one fire burning on its premises.
In total, Russian air defence systems destroyed or intercepted 71 Ukrainian drones over six Russian regions overnight, Russia’s defence ministry said.
Lammy to join Trump's envoys for talks on Ukraine peace plan
07:13 , Arpan RaiForeign secretary David Lammy is expected to join Donald Trump’s peace envoys for talks in Paris today on ending the war in Ukraine.
Mr Lammy will travel to Paris for meetings with US special envoy Steve Witkoff and the US secretary of state Marco Rubio, reported The Telegraph citing sources.
The two US officials are expected to hear European concerns about Russia amid US attempts to arrange an elusive ceasefire in Ukraine three years after Russia invaded its neighbour.
Odesa buildings reduced to rubble in Russian overnight drone attack on Ukrainian port city
07:06 , Arpan RaiRussia's overnight drone attack hit infrastructure in Odesa, Ukraine, video released yesterday shows.
The smoke billowed from wreckage as rescuers doused a building hit in the attack.
The strike on the Black Sea port city also damaged residential buildings and warehouses, Ukrainian officials from the region said.
Three people were injured and several fires broke out in the city as a result of the attack, Ukraine's emergency service.
Russia did not immediately comment on the attack.
Odesa buildings reduced to rubble in Russian overnight drone attack
Trump's top envoys head to Paris to discuss Ukraine with Macron
07:01 , Arpan RaiDonald Trump's top national security aides and peace envoy plan to hold talks in Paris with French president Emmanuel Macron today as the US and Europe search for common ground on ending the Ukraine war.
The two advisers, secretary of state Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff, are expected to hear European concerns about Russia amid US attempts to arrange an elusive ceasefire in Ukraine.
Besides Mr Macron, the French foreign ministry said Mr Rubio will also meet his French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot to discuss Ukraine, prospects for a new Iran nuclear deal and the Middle East.
Mr Witkoff plans to fly on to Rome for a second round of discussions on Saturday with Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi about Iran's nuclear program. They met for 45 minutes last Saturday in Oman.
Both sides described last weekend's talks as positive while acknowledging that any potential deal remains distant.
Kyiv says Ukraine and US make 'substantial progress' on minerals deal
05:52 , Arpan RaiUkraine and the US have made "substantial progress" in their talks on a minerals deal and will sign a memorandum in the near future, a senior Ukrainian official said.
"Our technical teams have worked very thoroughly together on the agreement, and there is significant progress. Our legal staff has adjusted several items within the draft agreement," first deputy prime minister Yulia Svyrydenko said in a social media post on X.
Donald Trump is seeking a bilateral minerals deal as part of his push to end Ukraine's war against the Russian invasion. Mr Trump also sees it as a way to recover billions of dollars the US has spent on military assistance to Ukraine.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Ukraine would not recognise past US military aid as loans.
Ms Svyrydenko said the work on the deal would continue and that both sides agreed to sign a memorandum in the near term as the first stage to record the progress.
The talks are advancing and it was likely a provisional document, or memorandum, could be signed very soon, deputy Ukrainian economy minister Taras Kachka told national television.
"A final document won't be signed this week. There is a lot of work to be done because the ideas included in the agreement by the US side need to be developed further," Mr Kachka said.
Kremlin says no timeline for peace but political will is there
05:35 , Arpan RaiThe Kremlin has said there is not yet a clear outline of a potential US-Russia deal on Ukraine, but it has the political will to move towards on an agreement.
"There are no clear outlines of any agreement yet, but there is political will to move towards an agreement. And I repeat once again, we highly highly rate the constructive and meaningful contacts that we have had (with the US)," said Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov in a call with reporters on Tuesday.
He said the talks with the US had been positive and useful Moscow would not give a possible timeline for a peace settlement.
"Nevertheless, of course we would like to hope for the best, that the work will have positive results. We would not say exactly what the timeframe is here," said Mr Peskov.
Report identifies almost 102,000 Russian soldiers as killed in Ukraine war
05:00 , Arpan RaiAn independent Russian media outlet claims to have identified 101,833 Russian military personnel killed in the course of Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
The investigation conducted by Mediazona, in collaboration with the BBC Russian service, found that 4,897 Russian officers have been killed in the invasion.
More than 24,800 volunteers were among those identified, accounting for 24.3 per cent of the total Russian losses.
Mediazona has been running an ongoing investigation tracking the identities of Russians killed in the war, as well as broader estimates of casualties – including those wounded or missing.
Since its last update, it said 1,882 additional Russian military personnel have been killed.
Trump sends top envoys for Ukraine talks with European officials in Paris
04:42 , Arpan RaiDonald Trump has dispatched his peace envoy Steve Witkoff and secretary of state Marco Rubio to Paris for talks on Ukraine’s future with European partners.
This is the first time the US president has made an effort to reach out to European leaders after excluding them from the initial rounds of peace talks on Ukraine.
"Secretary of state Marco Rubio and ambassador Steve Witkoff will travel to Paris, France, 16-18 April for talks with European counterparts to advance President Trump's goal to end the Russia-Ukraine war and stop the bloodshed," the state department said.
The visit is also aimed at improving Mr Trump’s ties with the US's EU allies.
"While in Paris, he will also discuss ways to advance shared interests in the region,” the statement added.
Mass drone attack kills two and injures at least 16 in Dnipro
04:14 , Arpan RaiA Russian mass drone attack has killed two people and injured at least 16 yesterday in the southeastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro, the regional governor said.
A young woman and an elderly woman had been killed, said Serhiy Lysak, governor of Dnipropetrovsk region.
Mr Lysak said 16 people had been injured, including three children, aged 11, six years old, and nine months. Five people were being treated in hospital.
Dnipro mayor Borys Filatov put the number of injured at 28.
The attack triggered several fires.
Mr Filatov said one strike came within 100 metres (110 yards) of the municipal offices. He also said at least 15 dwellings had been damaged, as well as a student residence, an educational institution and a food processing plant.
Kamikaze drones spark fires in Dnipropetrovsk
04:12 , Arpan RaiRussian forces used heavy artillery and kamikaze drones to strike Dnipropetrovsk all through Wednesday.
Serhii Lysak, Head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Military Administration, said on Telegram: “Throughout the day, the aggressor launched nine kamikaze drone strikes at Nikopol district.
“The region was also shelled with heavy artillery. Nikopol, Marhanets, and Pokrovsk communities were hit.”
In one nine-story residential building, a fire broke out in an apartment. Other homes suffered broken windows, according to Lysak.
He also reported that municipal infrastructure and vehicles were damaged.
One killed and nine injured in Russian strikes on Kherson
04:11 , Arpan RaiRussian glide bombs and artillery struck a city in southern Ukraine yesterday, killing one person and wounding nine others as Vladimir Putin's forces continued daily attacks across the country.
The city of Kherson was struck with glide bombs in the early hours yesterday, and when rescue teams arrived at the scene, Russian forces launched an artillery barrage, said the region's head Oleksandr Prokudin.
"This is a deliberate tactic by Russia to hinder the rescue of the injured and harm doctors, rescuers, and police," he said.
The attack damaged a sports facility, a supermarket, residential buildings and civilian vehicles, Mr Prokudin added.
