Ukraine war briefing: Kyiv sanctions three Chinese companies accused of helping Russia

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. Following Rubio’s comments, Donald Trump said the US is ready to “pass” on brokering a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine unless a settlement is reached “very shortly”. The US president declined to give a “specific number of days” for when…