Overview

• Ukraine and the U.S. signed a memorandum of intent on April 17 for a resource-sharing agreement granting U.S. access to Ukrainian rare earth metals as compensation for prior military aid.
• The agreement's final text is still being drafted and requires legislative ratification in both countries, with formal signing expected next week.
• Paris hosted the first trilateral peace talks involving Ukraine, Europe, and the U.S., hailed as a diplomatic breakthrough despite disagreements over concessions and guarantees.
• Russia's UN ambassador declared a ceasefire unrealistic, citing alleged breaches of a limited energy-infrastructure pause agreed upon in March.
• Follow-up peace discussions are planned in London next week, as Western nations debate strategies for strengthening Ukraine before further negotiations.