Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning expressed hope on Wednesday that all parties involved in the Ukraine crisis would find a sustainable and lasting peace solution that addresses each party's concerns through dialogue and negotiations.

Mao made the remarks after Ukraine expressed readiness to accept the US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire with Russia after talks in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.

"We have taken note of the relevant reports. From the very first day of the (Ukraine) crisis, China has been calling for political settlement through dialogue and negotiation. We have been actively working toward peace and pushing for talks," Mao said.

She said China hopes that all parties involved can reach a sustainable solution that addresses each other's concerns through dialogue and negotiation.

High-level delegations from Ukraine and the United States held talks in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, with Kyiv ready to sign a key minerals deal with the Donald Trump administration and poised to propose a partial cease-fire with Moscow — in an effort to mend ties and restore support from Washington.

The three-day meeting in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah started as the US was gauging if Ukraine is willing to make concessions for Trump's efforts to swiftly end Europe's biggest conflict since World War II. Since taking office in January, the US president has engaged directly with Russia, while halting military assistance to and intelligence sharing with Ukraine.

Ukrainian presidency chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, who is part of the Ukrainian delegation, said the discussions had begun positively. "The meeting with the US team started very constructively, we continue our work," he wrote on X.

China supports all efforts conducive to a peaceful settlement of the Ukraine crisis and hopes all parties can reach a just, lasting and acceptable solution, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Tuesday.

China is willing to continue to work with the international community to play a constructive role in the political settlement of the crisis, she told a news briefing in Beijing.

However, Ukraine on Tuesday launched its biggest drone attack on Moscow to date, deploying at least 91 drones, killing at least three people, injuring 18 others and causing a short shutdown of the Russian capital's four airports, according to Russian officials.

The Jeddah talks were expected to also focus on a minerals deal between the US and Ukraine. Trump has framed the deal as key to continued US support and compensation for $65 billion in US military aid to Ukraine in three years.

Previous row

On Feb 28, Trump and Vice-President JD Vance accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of avoiding a cease-fire with Russia, and of being ungrateful to the US and Trump for supplying military and other assistance.

Zelensky later said he is still willing to sign the deal on critical minerals, though US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said it would not be the focus of Tuesday's meeting.

Two senior Ukrainian officials said earlier their delegation is ready to sign the minerals accord and will propose a partial ceasefire covering the Black Sea and long-range missile strikes, as well as the release of prisoners.

Rubio signaled that Trump would likely be pleased by such a proposal. "We have to understand the Ukrainian position and have a general idea of what concessions they'd be willing to make. You're not going to get a cease-fire and an end to this war unless both sides make concessions," he told reporters.

However, Rubio declined to specify the concessions each side has to make, but said Kyiv would have difficulty reclaiming all of its lost territory. "The Russians can't conquer all of Ukraine, and obviously it'll be very difficult for Ukraine in any reasonable time period to sort of force the Russians back all the way to where they were in 2014," he said.

Rubio and Zelensky landed a few hours apart on Monday in Saudi Arabia, but did not meet. They both met with the kingdom's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday.

According to a joint statement published on Tuesday by the Saudi state news agency, the crown prince and Zelensky discussed efforts to achieve "sustainable, fair, and comprehensive" peace in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Trump's Middle East Special Envoy Steve Witkoff plans to visit Moscow to meet President Vladimir Putin, a person briefed on the plans said on Monday.

Agencies and Xinhua contributed to this story.

KYIV - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said overnight Tuesday that he discussed steps toward peace in Ukraine with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during a meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

"We had a detailed discussion on the steps and conditions needed to end the war and secure a reliable and lasting peace," Zelensky wrote on X.

The talks also covered the release of prisoners, the return of Ukrainian children from Russia, and formats of security guarantees for Ukraine, Zelensky added.

Emphasizing that Ukraine's position in upcoming talks with the US team will be "fully constructive", Zelensky expressed hope for "practical outcomes".

Economic cooperation, investments and Ukraine's reconstruction were also discussed at the meeting.

Zelensky arrived in the Saudi coastal city earlier Monday with the head of the president's office Andriy Yermak, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, ahead of the US-Ukraine talks.

Also on Monday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Jeddah and met with the Saudi crown prince.

The US-Ukraine meeting, reportedly scheduled for Tuesday, follows a rare shouting match at the White House between Trump and Zelensky in late February, which led to the cancellation of a bilateral minerals agreement and the subsequent suspension of US military aid to Ukraine.

MOSCOW - Russia's air defense systems shot down 337 Ukrainian drones overnight, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced Tuesday on its Telegram channel.

Those drones included 91 shot down over the Moscow region, 126 over Kursk, 38 over Bryansk, and 25 over Belgorod, the ministry said.

According to the TASS news agency, it was the largest drone attack Ukraine has launched against Russia in 2025.

MOSCOW - Four people were killed in a Ukrainian shelling attack on a shopping center in the village of Belaya in Russia's Kursk Oblast, the region's acting governor said Monday.

"The death toll from the shelling of a shopping center in the Belovsky district has risen to four. Two women (born in 1959 and 1988), a 39-year-old man and an 18-year-old boy were killed," Khinshtein said on the messaging app Telegram.

According to the governor, Ukrainian forces targeted the Dobrynya shopping center in Belaya on Monday evening.

Earlier reports put the death toll at three, with nine others injured, including four teenagers.

WASHINGTON — The US side is planning to use Tuesday's meeting with a Ukrainian delegation in Saudi Arabia in part to determine whether Ukraine is willing to make material concessions to Russia to end the conflict, according to two US officials.

The US delegation will also be watching for signs that the Ukrainians are serious about improving ties with the Donald Trump administration after a meeting between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky devolved into an argument last month, said one of the officials who requested anonymity.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was expected to arrive in Jeddah on Monday for the bilateral talks on Tuesday with Ukrainian officials, who will be led by Andriy Yermak, a top Zelensky aide. Rubio will be joined by National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.

"You can't say 'I want peace', and, 'I refuse to compromise on anything,'" one of the US officials said of the upcoming talks.

"We want to see if the Ukrainians are interested not just in peace, but in a realistic peace," said the other official. "If they are only interested in 2014 or 2022 borders, that tells you something."

Trump expressed optimism about the talks. "We're going to make a lot of progress, I believe, this week," he told reporters traveling with him on Air Force One.

Zelensky traveled to Saudi Arabia on Monday to "continue to work for the sake of peace". He said he hopes the talks between his team and US officials will bear results.

Aerial and naval truce

Kyiv will propose an aerial and naval cease-fire with Russia during talks, a Ukrainian official told AFP on Monday.

"We do have a proposal for a cease-fire in the sky and cease-fire at sea because these are the cease-fire options that are easy to install and to monitor and it's possible to start with them," the official told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.

US officials had met with Russian officials in the Saudi capital of Riyadh in February for separate bilateral discussions which were focused largely on rebuilding a working relationship after a near-total freeze on official contact under former US president Joe Biden.

On the battlefield, Russian troops have been making slow but steady progress in eastern Ukraine, while thousands of Ukrainian troops who stormed into Russia's Kursk region last summer are nearly surrounded.

The Ukrainian military said on Monday that Russia launched 176 drones during its overnight attack.

The country's armed forces shot down 130 drones and another 42 did not reach their targets, likely due to electronic warfare countermeasures, the military said in a statement on Telegram.

In a statement, National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said Zelensky had made progress in restoring the US-Ukraine relationship following his acrimonious meeting with Trump on Feb 28.

Hanging over Jeddah is the fate of a minerals deal between the US and Ukraine, in which Kyiv wants a security guarantee from Washington in exchange for access to certain mineral resources in Ukraine.

Zelensky and Trump were slated to sign that accord during Zelensky's Washington visit, but it was not signed after the White House blow-up between the two men.

Since then, both sides have expressed a renewed willingness to sign the deal, but no signing has taken place yet. Trump said on Sunday he thought Ukraine would sign it, with a caveat that he wanted Zelensky's government to show that it wanted peace.

The US State Department and the Ukrainian embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Agencies via Xinhua

KYIV — Russia said on Saturday its troops had retaken three villages seized by Ukraine in its Kursk border region, in a fresh setback for Kyiv ahead of talks to try to end the conflict.

"In all directions of the Kursk section of the front, all units have launched a large-scale offensive," Major General Apti Alaudinov, commander of a Chechen unit in Kursk, said on Telegram. "The enemy is abandoning its positions."

Russia's Defense Ministry announced the recapture of three more villages: Viktorovka, Nikolayevka and Staraya Sorochina.

According to DeepState, an online military tracker linked to the Ukrainian army, the Russian move followed a "breach" in the Ukrainian defense lines near the town of Sudzha, which is under Kyiv's control.

The advance appears to have cut off the logistics route needed by Ukraine to supply its troops, though Kyiv has not confirmed this.

Ukrainian troops stormed into Kursk last summer, taking chunks of territory in an unexpected lightning attack. Russia has taken back more than two-thirds of the territory Ukraine initially seized in Kursk.

The Ukrainian military General Staff said on Saturday that clashes were continuing amid heavy bombardment with artillery and guided aerial bombs.

Russia's Defense Ministry said on Sunday that its air defense units destroyed 88 Ukrainian drones overnight with no injuries or damage reported.

The ministry said 52 of the drones were destroyed over the border Belgorod region, while 13 were over the Lipetsk region and nine were over the Rostov region, both in Russia's southwest.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday named a high-level delegation, including foreign and defense ministers, to meet United States negotiators in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.

"We hope to discuss and agree on the necessary decisions and steps," Zelensky said, stressing that Ukraine was "fully committed to constructive dialogue".

He also urged allies to "increase sanctions against Russia" after heavy overnight bombardment in the east and northeast.

A Russian barrage hit the center of Dobropillia in the eastern Donetsk region on Friday, killing 11 people, including five children, and wounding 40, emergency services said.

Ukrainian Interior Ministry said on Saturday that three civilians were killed and seven wounded in a separate drone attack on the Kharkiv region in the northeast.

On Friday, US President Donald Trump threatened new sanctions and tariffs against Russia over its bombardment of Ukraine.

Agencies via Xinhua

The public argument between US President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart was the "opposite of diplomacy", and its damage will be "hard to repair", with the test being whether Washington will stop sending weapons to Kiev, analysts said.

The meeting at the White House Oval Office on Friday between Trump — who was joined by Vice-President JD Vance — and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky developed into a shouting match while the television cameras rolled.

Trump accused Zelensky of "gambling with World War III" and claimed Ukraine lacked the "cards" to fight Russia, while Vance labeled him disrespectful and ungrateful.

Trump later declared on X.com that Zelensky is "not ready for Peace if America is involved, because he feels our involvement gives him a huge advantage in negotiations", canceling lunch and a scheduled news conference.

Zelensky departed the White House less than three hours after he arrived, and a highly anticipated rare earth minerals deal was not signed.

US State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said what many saw as Trump, Vance and Zelensky sparring in public was "diplomacy in action with blunt talk and a clarity that you rarely, rarely see … part and parcel of what it means to make America great again".

"Public debates like those are the opposite of diplomacy in action. In my view, the relation had soured before the meeting, which only confirmed that fact," Stanley Renshon, a political scientist at the City University of New York, said on Saturday.

"The relation will not improve but continue as it now is," Renshon told China Daily. "All that is left to watch for now is the ongoing charade."

Cal Jillson, a political scientist and historian at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, said that inviting reporters and cameras into the Oval Office and then dressing down a "beleaguered wartime ally" is not diplomacy.

"The damage created by such a public break will be hard to repair. Trump will require more access to Ukrainian minerals; he and Vance will require that Zelensky crawl, and he seems unwilling to do that. But pressure on him will build," Jillson said in an email.

Jillson said one of the things to watch in the coming weeks would be "how fast and fully the major European states move to fill the intelligence and material gaps left as American assistance declines".

For James M. Lindsay, a senior fellow in US foreign policy and director of Fellowship Affairs at the Council on Foreign Relations, the main thing to watch for in the near term is whether Trump cuts US weapons shipments to Ukraine.

Lindsay said the "acrimonious" meeting with Zelensky that culminated in the Ukrainian president being asked to leave the White House "has no precedent", as heads of government generally do not bicker in front of the cameras.

The researcher said in a note posted immediately after Friday's meeting that although Trump said in December that he might reduce US military aid to Ukraine once in office, that has yet to happen.

"Ukraine's ability to hold off Russia depends on maintaining the flow of US weapons. Everything changes if that stops," Lindsay wrote.

"Europe cannot make up the shortfall. So while the rhetorical fireworks between Trump (and Vance) and Zelensky grab the headlines — Trump himself said that today's meeting made for 'great television' — deeds matter more than words," he added.

Early on Saturday, Zelensky took to X to do some thanking, in response to Vance, who asked him "Have you said thank you once?" in Friday's talk.

Also in the morning, Zelensky outlined the terms of the deal he is seeking, saying that he is ready to sign the minerals agreement as "a first step toward security guarantees".

The heated exchange between Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump as well as Vice-President JD Vance has all the social media platforms abuzz.

Tens of thousands of comments have been made under a single thread devoted to the discussion.

Americans are divided on the issue.

"I am horrified watching it unfold and I feel so ashamed for my country," said one.

"I am proud of the President and Vice President for standing up for the United States," said another.

Alisa Lei, a small-business owner in Houston, said she tried to comprehend the situation.

"I watched the entire broadcast leading up to Trump's tantrum. Before the blowup, Trump wanted President Zelensky to sign another ceasefire agreement, Zelensky said Putin has broken the ceasefire agreements 25 times and another ceasefire won't matter," she posted. "Then Trump was set off when Zelensky said that if Ukraine is defeated, even the USA would feel the impact. This shows that Trump knows nothing about how diplomacy works," Lei continued.

"Now the Conservatives are attacking Zelensky for not taking this deal. Who in the world would take this deal? That is not a deal but an extortion on the part of Trump. Any decent American should feel ashamed by his act. I know I do," Lei said.

But many other Americans were feeling proud.

"I'm glad we elected Trump and Vance. We got men in office who care deeply for our country and our people. It's about time we had some backbone in the White House," one Facebook user commented.

"America will not be taken advantage of with President Trump in office," another said.

Elon Musk reposted a post by Cynical Publius on his own platform X with a "Yes" on Saturday.

The post reads: "Ukraine cannot win this war. What Zelensky wants is for the US and/or NATO to literally start fighting the Russians, and that's not going to happen because nobody wants nuclear Armageddon and the end of humanity (except possibly Zelensky)."

"So what is the ONLY option? Answer: mark the boundaries where they are right now and stop fighting," the post continued. "THERE IS NO OTHER OPTION."

US Democrat and Republican politicians also expressed opposing views.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, posted on X: "Thanks to President Trump — the days of America being taken advantage of and disrespected are OVER."

Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, called the meeting "a complete utter disaster".

"Somebody asked me, am I embarrassed about Trump. I have never been more proud of the president. I was very proud of JD Vance standing up for our country."

Graham said he has visited Ukraine eight or nine times since the war started. He once expressed strong support to Zelensky and encouraged former president Joe Biden to do more to help Ukraine in 2023.

"We want to be helpful. What I saw in the Oval Office was disrespectful, and I don't know if we can ever do business with Zelensky again," he said. "The way he handled the meeting, the way he confronted the president, was just over the top."

Democrats mostly expressed dismay over the meeting.

"What we saw in the Oval Office today was beyond disgraceful," Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland posted on X. "Trump and Vance berating Zelensky — putting on a show of lies and misinformation that would make Putin blush — is an embarrassment for America and a betrayal of our allies. They're popping champagne in the Kremlin."

Al Green, a US representative from Texas, held a news conference Friday addressing the issue. He filed an impeachment article against Trump earlier this year.

"I was very disappointed to see earlier today what I consider a shameful display of bully diplomacy," Green said. "This is unbelievable behavior emanating from the highest office of the land, and this behavior is being emulated by others who hold positions under the president."

Green said people will see more of that type of behavior at state and local government levels.

Zack, a Houston computer professional in his mid-20s who declined to provide his last name, said Friday's events were "very concerning".

"It's not apparent what the executive office wants to signal by turning a diplomatic talk into a reality TV show. It's not good for the US because the whole exchanges indicated that Trump is mouthing Russian's talking points when it comes the war," Zack said. "The US executive office is operating under the influence of foreign propaganda, that's very concerning. He's being played like a fiddle by people who have a different interest than ours."

Zack said that judging from the White House live broadcast, "Trump appeared to be hyperfocused on having optics on his ending the war, being in control and in a dominating position."

A White House meeting between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday — which was expected to produce an agreement over rare earth minerals as a condition for ending Ukraine's three-year military conflict with Russia — turned dramatically contentious with no deal reached as video of the clash reverberated around the globe.

The last 10 minutes of the nearly 45-minute meeting deteriorated into a tense back and forth between Trump, Vice-President JD Vance and Zelensky, who expressed skepticism about Russia's commitment to diplomacy.

"Let me tell you, you don't have the cards," Trump said. "With us, you have the cards — but without us, you don't have any cards.

"You're gambling with World War III, and what you're doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country that's backed you far more than a lot of people say they should have," Trump told Zelensky.

"You're either going to make a deal or we're out," Trump said. "And if we're out, you'll fight it out and I don't think it's going to be pretty."

Vance told Zelensky: "Mr. President, with respect, I think it's disrespectful for you to come to the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media."

Trump said Zelensky's "hatred" for Russian President Vladimir Putin was a roadblock to a diplomatic solution.

"You see the hatred he's got for Putin," Trump said. "That's very tough for me to make a deal with that kind of hate."

The Ukrainian leader was asked to leave the White House by top Trump advisers shortly after the US president yelled at him.

Trump later told reporters, shortly before leaving for his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida for the weekend, that he wanted an "immediate cease-fire" between Russia and Ukraine but expressed doubt that Zelensky was ready to make peace.

Zelensky, who engaged in the dispute entirely in English, made an appearance on Fox News on Friday evening in which he said his public disagreement with Trump and Vance was "not good for both sides".

But Zelensky said that the US president — who maintained that Putin is ready to end the war — should understand that Ukraine can't change its stance toward Russia so quickly.

Zelensky said that Ukraine won't engage in peace talks with Russia until it has security guarantees.

"It's so sensitive for our people," Zelensky said. "And they just want to hear that America (is) on our side, that America will stay with us. Not with Russia, with us. That's it."

Following the meeting, Trump posted on his social media site that he had "determined" that Zelensky "is not ready for Peace".

"He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace," Trump wrote.

The prospects for the minerals deal were uncertain. A Trump administration official said later on Friday that all American aid to Ukraine could be canceled soon, The New York Times reported.

The Oval Office clash further opened the divide in US politics, with some Democrats suggesting Zelensky was set up by Trump and Vance in the meeting.

"Trump and Vance are doing Putin's dirty work," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said.

Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland said, "They're popping champagne in the Kremlin."

House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, said: "Thanks to President Trump, the days of America being taken advantage of and disrespected are over. What we witnessed in the Oval Office today was an American president putting America first."

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni proposed "an immediate summit" between the United States and European allies "to speak frankly about how we intend to face today's great challenges, starting with Ukraine".

Agencies contributed to this story.

US President Donald Trump confirmed that his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky would visit Washington on Friday to sign an agreement on rare earth minerals, while the latter said the success of the deal would hinge on the talks that take place and continued US aid.

Under the deal, which Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has called "preliminary", Kyiv would hand some revenue from its mineral resources to a fund jointly controlled by the US.

Trump said Zelensky would sign the agreement on rare earths and discuss other topics during his visit but suggested Washington would not make far-reaching security guarantees.

"I'm not going to make security guarantees beyond-very much. We're going to have Europe do that," Trump said, without elaborating.

Zelensky, speaking in his nightly video address, said his talks with Trump would stress the importance of obtaining security guarantees "to ensure that Russia no longer destroys the lives of other nations", and added that continued US aid was vital.

"For me and for all of us in the world, it is important that American aid is not halted. Strength is needed on the path to peace," he said.

Zelensky later told a news conference that he would immediately follow the trip with talks with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and other European leaders in Britain over the weekend.

His comments about the deal and the US visit came as discussions were fraught over the minerals issue, which would grant the US preferential access to Ukrainian natural resources in exchange for US support.

Difficult work ahead

Officials late on Tuesday said they had come to an agreement following protracted negotiations, but Zelensky told reporters in Kyiv that more difficult work lay ahead.

Further discussions between US and Ukrainian officials would determine the nature of security guarantees for Ukraine and the exact sums of money at stake in the accords.

However, Trump earlier brushed aside Ukraine's aspirations of joining the Atlantic defense alliance, saying: "NATO — you can forget about it."

The Kremlin said on Wednesday that it was still waiting for official confirmation that the US and Ukraine had agreed on the terms of the minerals deal.

"So far, there are no official statements on this matter. We have only heard that Zelensky seemed to be going to Washington on Friday," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

The Kremlin has also sought to approach Trump by encouraging US investments in natural resources in Ukrainian territory controlled by Russian forces.

Russian and US diplomats met in Istanbul on Thursday to discuss resolving bilateral disputes that are part of a wider dialogue the sides see as crucial to ending the military conflict.

ISTANBUL -- A Russian delegation arrived at the premises of the US Consulate General in Istanbul on Thursday for talks on bilateral issues, the Turkish state-run Anadolu news agency reported.

Anadolu broadcast live from the premises on the European side of the city, showing a vehicle carrying the Russian delegation arriving at around 9:45 am local time (0645 GMT).

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced on Wednesday in Doha, Qatar, that the two sides would discuss issues concerning the operations of their respective embassies.

He said that the meeting would focus on improving the conditions for diplomatic missions in each other's country, particularly addressing concerns over staffing levels and embassy properties.

KYIV - Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced Wednesday that his government adopted a set of measures needed for signing the minerals partnership agreement with the United States, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported.

"Today the government is making decisions necessary for signing an agreement between Ukraine and the United States," Shmyhal said.

Under the agreement, Ukraine and the United States are set to establish a joint investment fund which will be co-owned and co-managed by both governments, Shmyhal said.

He emphasized that Ukrainian mineral resources will remain the property of Ukraine and will not be transferred to the US ownership.

According to the deal, Ukraine will contribute 50 percent of its future revenues from its natural resources to the fund, while the United States will provide funds to support Ukraine's recovery.

KYIV - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday that US and Ukrainian teams are preparing for negotiations on Friday.

In his evening address, Zelensky said he will meet US President Donald Trump.

The minerals partnership agreement, support for Ukraine and security guarantees will be on the agenda of the potential meeting, Zelensky said.

"It is important to me and to all of us around the world that the US' aid is not stopped. Strength is essential on the path to peace," he said.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to travel to the US in the coming days, after Washington and Kyiv agreed to terms on a deal over natural resources and reconstruction, sources with knowledge of the matter said on Tuesday.

Negotiations have been ongoing for days over a deal that could grant the United States access to Ukraine's rare earth minerals as part of wider negotiations to end Russia's special military operation, as well as US involvement in a reconstruction fund for Ukraine.

CNN quoted a Ukrainian official as saying that terms were agreed upon after "everything unacceptable was taken out of the text and it is now more clearly spelled out how this agreement will contribute to Ukraine's security and peace".

Details of the agreement are not yet known, but a major sticking point was a demand from the Donald Trump administration for a $500 billion share of Ukraine's rare earth and other minerals in exchange for the aid the US had provided to Kyiv, which was previously rejected by Zelensky.

A source familiar with the contents of the draft agreement said it does not specify any US security guarantees or continued flow of weapons, but that the US wants Ukraine to be "free, sovereign and secure".

One of the sources familiar with the deal said future weapons shipments are still being discussed between Washington and Kyiv.

The US has not confirmed whether the terms of a deal have been agreed upon.

"I hear that (Zelensky is) coming on Friday," Trump said on Tuesday. "Certainly it's OK with me if he'd like to, and he would like to sign it together with me. And I understand that's a big deal, very big deal."

Asked what Ukraine would receive in the minerals deal, Trump said," $350 billion and lots of equipment, military equipment, and the right to fight on.

"We've pretty much negotiated our deal on rare earth and various other things," Trump told reporters, adding that "we'll be looking to" future security for Ukraine "later on".

"I don't think that's going to be a problem," he said. "I spoke with Russia about it. They didn't seem to have a problem with it. So I think they understand … once we do this, they're not going back in."

Some European countries have said they would be willing to send peacekeeping forces to Ukraine. Trump said on Monday that Moscow would accept such peacekeepers, but the Kremlin denied that on Tuesday.

Under the terms of a draft minerals agreement, according to sources familiar with its contents, the US and Ukraine would establish a Reconstruction Investment Fund to collect and reinvest revenues from Ukrainian sources, including minerals, hydrocarbons and other extractable materials.

Kyiv would contribute 50 percent of the revenues to the fund, minus operating expenses, and continue until the contributions reach a sum of $500 billion. The US would provide a long-term financial commitment to the development of a "stable and economically prosperous Ukraine".

renqi@chinadaily.com.cn

MOSCOW - The Kremlin has dismissed statements that Russia was open to European peacekeeping troops in Ukraine.

When asked about the possible deployment, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to make a direct comment but referred to an earlier rejection of the idea by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

"There is a position on this issue here, which was expressed by Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov. I have nothing to add to this and nothing to comment on," the spokesman said on Tuesday.

Lavrov said last week that Russia rejected the use of Western soldiers in Ukraine.

WARSAW - Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Tuesday emphasized the imperative of Europe's active involvement in peace negotiations to end the conflict in Ukraine.

Following a meeting with European Council President Antonio Costa, Tusk said, "We are fully aware that the potentially upcoming negotiations require Europe's presence. Ukraine also expects this."

Costa announced an extraordinary European Council meeting scheduled for March 6, focusing on enhancing support for Ukraine and bolstering European defense capabilities.

Costa stressed the need for a unified European response, noting that recent US-Russia dialogues have raised concerns about potential agreements excluding Ukrainian and European interests.

The two leaders addressed the importance of increased defense spending across Europe.

European Union leaders pledged fresh support for Ukraine on Monday amid strained relations with the new US administration of President Donald Trump.

European Council President Antonio Costa, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and other European and Canadian leaders gathered in Kyiv to mark the third anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Costa said EU accession is key to Ukraine's future, calling it the country's most important security guarantee. The remark came after the Trump administration ruled out Ukraine's NATO membership in a potential peace deal with Russia.

Ukraine was given "EU candidate" status in June 2022, four months after the conflict broke out, as a gesture of EU support. However, many expect the path to full membership to be long.

Von der Leyen said Ukraine could join the bloc earlier than 2030 if it maintains its speedy reforms, adding that membership is merit-based.

"If you would just only set a date, then it would also mean the other candidate countries would ask immediately for a date and not a process anymore," she said.

She also unveiled a $3.67 billion EU financial aid package to support Ukraine's strained budget and help purchase military equipment from its domestic industry, among other things.

Separately, EU foreign ministers approved the 16th package of sanctions against Russia in Brussels on Monday, targeting its energy, trade, transport, infrastructure and financial services.

Following the meeting, EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas said she is "optimistic" that leaders will quickly agree on additional funding for short-term military aid to Ukraine, though details will be discussed at the upcoming EU summit on March 6.

Ding Chun, director of the Center for European Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai, described the flurry of EU moves as "a stress response by the European political mainstream to the impact of Trump's U-turn on US policy toward Europe and Ukraine".

"They regard it as both a matter relating to European defense and security and a matter to show EU independence from the US," Ding said, adding it is also an effort to unify member states and strengthen the bloc's cohesion.

The dramatic change of US policy prompted French President Emmanuel Macron to travel to Washington on Monday to meet Trump and mend ties, but their stark differences were in full display in front of the media.

Open disagreement

Macron openly disagreed with Trump on key issues, including whether to label Russia as the "aggressor". Trump also refused to call Russia's president a dictator, after referring to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as one.

Trump and Macron did agree on the deployment of European peacekeeping forces once a peace deal is reached.

"They would not be along the front lines," Macron said. "They would not be party of any conflict. They would be there to ensure that the peace is respected."

After the meeting, Trump said Zelensky could travel to Washington this week or next to seal the minerals agreement, which he called "very close", without elaborating.

Macron, in an interview later with Fox News, said he believes a truce in Ukraine is feasible in the next few weeks. A US minerals deal with Kyiv would be one of the best ways to ensure a commitment from Washington, he said.

Agencies contributed to this story.

MOSCOW - Vassily Nebenzia, Russia's permanent representative to the UN, said the US-proposed resolution on the Ukraine crisis, adopted Monday by the Security Council, is "a starting point" for further efforts toward a peaceful settlement.

"The adopted text is not perfect, but it is essentially the first attempt by the Council to produce a constructive and forward-looking document that speaks of a path to peace rather than fanning the flames of conflict," said Nebenzia.

He said the crisis has complex origins and cannot be reduced to a mere confrontation between Russia and Ukraine, urging against allowing external forces to derail peace efforts by both Russia and the United States.

The adopted resolution appealed for a swift end to the conflict, mourned the loss of life, and urged a lasting peace between Russia and Ukraine. The resolution received 10 votes in favor, none against, and five abstentions including France, Britain, Denmark, Greece and Slovenia.

The United Nations Security Council passed a resolution on Monday proposed by the United States calling for "a swift end to the conflict" between Ukraine and Russia and urging "a lasting peace" as the world observed the third anniversary of the war.

The resolution was approved with 10 votes in favor, none against, and five abstentions from France, Britain, Denmark, Greece and Slovenia. The resolution also mourns the loss of life in the war, without blaming Russia.

"Despite differences in positions, dialogue is always better than confrontation, and peace talks are always preferable to war. China supports the US-Russia agreement to start peace talks," Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the UN, said at the meeting.

"China expects all parties involved, as well as relevant stakeholders, to engage in the peace process at the appropriate time, seeking a fair and lasting resolution that addresses mutual concerns. The goal should be to reach a binding peace agreement that is accepted by all parties," he said.

Fu then emphasized that because the conflict is taking place on European soil, "Europe ought to play its part for peace, to jointly address the root causes of the crisis, and to find a balanced, effective, and sustainable security framework, so as to achieve long-term security and stability on the European continent".

Fu reiterated China's guidance on the Ukraine issue is that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be respected; the purposes and principles of the UN Charter observed; the legitimate security concerns of all countries given due regard; and all efforts conducive to the peaceful settlement of the crisis supported.

Fu noted that China has sent its special envoy to actively engage in diplomatic mediation, has maintained contacts with the parties concerned, including Russia and Ukraine, and has also partnered with Brazil and other countries in creating the Group of Friends for Peace, thus "constituting an important force for supporting and promoting peace".

Earlier Monday, the UN General Assembly also approved two draft resolutions on Ukraine.

One resolution, proposed by Ukraine and co-sponsored by European countries, demands an immediate withdrawal of all Russian troops from Ukraine and condemn Russia's role.

It was passed by 93 countries, while 18 opposed, and 65 abstained. Both the US and Russia voted against the resolution.

The US declined to endorse Ukraine's UN resolution, and at the last minute, introduced its own competing version, urging its allies to support it instead. The US resolution was approved by 93 countries, opposed by eight, while 73 abstained.

The vote took place in the 193-member General Assembly, where resolutions are not legally binding but serve as a gauge of global opinion. Seeking stronger backing, the United States pushed for a vote on its proposal in the more influential UN Security Council, where adopted resolutions are binding. China, which holds the council's presidency this month, presided over the voting.

"We expect the international community to foster a favorable environment for the political resolution of the crisis and the General Assembly to play a constructive role in building a consensus for peace among its member states," Fu said at the General Assembly.