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Donald Trump has said the US will “take a pass” on a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine if “parties make it difficult”. The US president made the comments to reporters during the swearing-in ceremony for Mehmet Oz as administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Trump added that he believed there was a “good chance” of “solving the problem”. The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, had earlier said the US will abandon its efforts “within days” to broker a peace agreement unless there are clear signs a settlement can be reached.
Here is a video report on the story:
Australia to advocate for Melbourne man charged by Russia after fighting for Ukraine
Tory Shepherd
Australia will use “whatever avenues” it can to help Melbourne man Oscar Jenkins, who faces a 15-year jail term in Russia for fighting with Ukrainian troops.
The prime minister said on Saturday that the government would “continue to make representations to the reprehensible regime of Vladimir Putin” to release Jenkins, 33, a former teacher who fought with Ukraine’s armed forces against Russia’s invasion.
After initial reports in January that Jenkins had died in captivity, Russia then confirmed he was alive and in custody. In February video of him appeared on YouTube in which he appeared weak and said he thought he had a broken arm.
According to several news reports on Saturday, the Russian prosecutor’s office in Luhansk – eastern Ukrainian territory currently occupied by Russia – has approved a criminal indictment against Jenkins. The Guardian has confirmed that a charge was laid.
Russia has indicted other foreign prisoners of war.
“We continue to hold serious concerns for Mr Jenkins and are working with Ukraine and other partners to advocate for his welfare and release.” a spokesperson for Australia’s department of foreign affairs and trade said.
The ABC reported that the indictment claimed “a citizen of Australia, on his own initiative, in order to receive material remuneration, arrived on the territory of Ukraine to participate as a mercenary in an armed conflict with the Russian Federation on the side of enemy troops”.
The ABC also cited local media claiming he was paid up to $15,000 a month to fight on Ukraine’s side against Russia.
The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, has said Jenkins was being held as a prisoner of war, which would mean he should be afforded the protection of international humanitarian law. But Moscow referred to him as a mercenary, which would mean he is not covered by the conventions.
Anthony Albanese said on Saturday the Australian government would “stand up and use whatever avenues we have at our disposal to continue to make those representations [on behalf of Jenkins] … both to Russia, but also, of course, through our friends in Ukraine, who have also made representations as well”.
Russia launched eight missiles and 87 drones on overnight attack on Ukraine, Kyiv says
Russia launched eight missiles and 87 drones in an overnight attack on Ukraine on Saturday, causing damage in five regions across the country, the Ukrainian air force said.
Air defence units shot down 33 Russian drones, and another 36 drones were redirected by electronic warfare, the Ukrainian air force said, reports Reuters.
It gave no details on missiles. Damage was recorded in five regions in the south, north-east and east, it said.
US vice-president JD Vance struck a more hopeful tone in Rome on Friday, before talks with Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni.
“We think we have some interesting things to report on, of course in private,” he said. On the negotiations, “I won’t prejudge them, but we do feel optimistic that we can hopefully bring this war, this very brutal war, to a close.”
He did not give more details, reports the Associated Press (AP).
The US state department said Marco Rubio issued the same warning in a phone call on Friday with Nato secretary general Mark Rutte, telling him that “if a clear path to peace does not emerge soon, the United States will step back from efforts to broker peace.”
Donald Trump said “Marco is right” that the dynamic of the negotiations between Ukraine and Russia must change, but stopped short of saying he is ready to walk away. “Well, I don’t want to say that,” Trump said. “But we want to see it end.”
The Associate Press (AP) reports that Rubio’s comments stepped up pressure on both sides to reach a peace deal, even as the US and Ukraine made progress on a minerals agreement that Trump has sought to recoup billions of dollars in military assistance that Washington has sent Kyiv since Russia’s full scale invasion in February 2022.
They also indicated the road to a complete truce will be long and mired with contention, despite Trump repeatedly claiming on the campaign trail that he could end the war within a day. Trump said last month that he was “being a little bit sarcastic.”
Coming out of the Paris talks, the US are ready to use carrot and stick strategies with Russia and understand the need for ″a relationship of force that allows them to get commitments from both sides,” a French diplomatic official, who took part in the talks but was not authorised to comment publicly, told the AP.
The Americans and Europeans discussed sanctions but ″not the question of easing sanctions” on Russia. The official told the AP that the European Union needs to use ″all instruments at our disposition,” notably to have levers of influence over the Russians to ensure they commit to eventual promises.
Nobody 'playing me', says Trump, amid frustration over progress in peace talks
President Donald Trump has said negotiations between Ukraine and Russia are “coming to a head” and insisted that neither side is “playing” him in his push to end the grinding war.
Trump spoke on Friday shortly after secretary of state Marco Rubio warned that the US may “move on” from trying to secure a Russia-Ukraine peace deal if there is no progress in the coming days, after months of efforts have failed to bring an end to the fighting.
The US president said:
Now, if for some reason, one of the two parties makes it very difficult, we’re just going to say you’re foolish. You are fools, you horrible people.
And we’re going to just take a pass. But hopefully, we won’t have to do that.
Rubio’s dour assessment came after landmark talks in Paris among US, Ukrainian and European officials produced outlines for steps toward peace and appeared to make some long-awaited progress. Another meeting is expected next week in London, and Rubio suggested it could be decisive in determining whether the Trump administration continues its involvement.
“We are now reaching a point where we need to decide whether this is even possible or not,” Rubio told reporters in Paris. “Because if it’s not, then I think we’re just going to move on. It’s not our war. We have other priorities to focus on.”
He said the US administration wants to decide “in a matter of days”.
More on that story in a moment, but first, here are some other developments:
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Russia and Ukraine will conduct a new prisoner swap on Saturday mediated by the United Arab Emirates, a source close to the negotiations told Reuters. Nearly 500 Russian and Ukrainian prisoners and 46 injured soldiers will be exchanged in the latest swap to be mediated by Abu Dhabi. The exchange will involve 246 prisoners from each side, the source said.
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Ukraine imposed sanctions on three Chinese companies on Friday, claiming they were involved in the production of advanced Iskander missiles. The sanctions list, which also includes Russian companies, names Beijing Aviation & Aerospace Xianghui Technology, Rui Jin Machinery and Zhongfu Shenying Carbon Fiber Xining, all registered in China.
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Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said on X: “Today, we have expanded our Ukrainian sanctions against nearly a hundred more entities – natural and legal persons – most of whom are involved in the production of such missiles – Iskanders – like those that struck our Kharkiv. Many of these entities are Russian, but unfortunately, some are also from China.” On Thursday, Zelenskyy accused China of supplying Russia with artillery and gunpowder, which Beijing has denied.
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Russia launched 8 missiles and 87 drones in an overnight attack on Ukraine on Saturday, causing damage in five regions across the country, the Ukrainian air force said.
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The Guardian has obtained the memorandum of intent signed by Ukraine and the US over a minerals deal. It envisages setting up a joint investment fund between the two countries and lays out a deadline of 26 April to finalise negotiations. The document recognises the “significant financial and material support” Washington has given Kyiv since Russia’s full-scale 2022 invasion.
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The US is prepared to recognise Russian control of the Ukrainian region of Crimea as part of a broader peace agreement between Moscow and Kyiv, Bloomberg News has reported, citing people familiar with the matter. According to Bloomberg, the people said a final decision on the matter hadn’t yet been taken, and the White House and state department did not respond to a request for comment.
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Australia will use “whatever avenues” it can to help Melbourne man Oscar Jenkins, who faces a 15-year jail term in Russia for fighting with Ukrainian troops. The prime minister said on Saturday that the government would “continue to make representations to the reprehensible regime of Vladimir Putin” to release Jenkins, 33, a former teacher who fought with Ukraine’s armed forces against Russia’s invasion.
