Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on Thursday that China’s weapon production for Russia includes gunpowder and artillery, based on reports from Ukrainian security and intelligence agencies. Zelenskyy expressed readiness to discuss this matter in detail and indicated that Ukraine plans to present supporting documentation next week.
He said, “We have confirmed that China is providing arms to Russia. We believe that Chinese representatives are participating in the production of certain weapons on Russian soil. The cooperation between these two nations in this area is evident, and we must recognize it.”
In response, China dismissed these allegations as unfounded. Lin Jian, a spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry, stated during a news conference on Friday that China has always maintained a clear position on the situation in Ukraine. He emphasized that China is committed to promoting a ceasefire and resolving the conflict through peace talks.
On Thursday, Ukraine’s economy minister, Yulia Svyrydenko, announced that Kyiv has signed a “memorandum of intent” with the United States regarding a planned investment fund for Ukraine’s reconstruction. U.S. President Donald Trump mentioned that they would finalize a minerals deal the following Thursday. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent informed AFP that the deal is expected to be completed by April 26.
Zelenskyy observed that although Russia has scaled back its assaults on energy facilities in Ukraine, it has significantly increased its attacks on civilian infrastructure. He explained at a press conference in Kyiv that the overall number of missiles and drones launched by Russia remains unchanged. However, it’s important to note that Russia has not decreased its overall attacks; instead, they are targeting other civilian structures,” he said.
Russia’s UN envoy, Vassily Nebenzia, claimed during a Security Council meeting on Thursday that Ukraine has ignored the energy ceasefire. After the discussions, representatives from Slovenia, Denmark, France, Greece, and Britain called on Russia to accept a total and unconditional ceasefire. Slovenia’s UN representative, Samuel Zbogar, remarked, “Ukraine seeks peace and demonstrated this by consenting to a full, immediate, and unconditional ceasefire five weeks ago. Today, Russia once again dismissed the comprehensive ceasefire and declined to take the initial step towards peace.”
Recent Russian strikes resulted in two fatalities and at least 27 injuries in Kharkiv and Sumy, northeastern Ukraine, according to local authorities on Friday. Igor Terekhov, the mayor of Kharkiv, stated that initial reports suggested the attacks were executed with ballistic missiles employing cluster munitions, resulting in substantial destruction in the impacted regions. In Sumy, a Russian drone attack on civilian infrastructure led to one death and one injury, as reported by the regional military administration.
High-level negotiators from the E3 coalition—Britain, France, and Germany—are scheduled to convene in London next week with U.S. representatives following recent talks involving Donald Trump’s envoys and European foreign ministers on ceasefire efforts. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot noted, “What’s new is that the United States, Ukraine, and the Europeans met together.” This meeting took place in Paris, where German, British, and U.S. foreign ministers, along with Trump’s associate Steve Witkoff and a Ukrainian delegation, convened.
A senior adviser to French President Emmanuel Macron remarked, “The E3 are at the table, and we are doing this with a European ambition.” He emphasized that the discussions in Paris marked a positive step forward, involving European nations. Marco Rubio, Trump’s Secretary of State, communicated with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, according to the U.S. State Department.
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