US says war set to run on as Ukraine prepares to ratify minerals deal

Despite preparations in Kyiv to ratify a minerals deal with Washington, US Vice President JD Vance has stated that his administration sees no end to the conflict in Ukraine.

Vance stated to Fox News on Thursday that the Ukraine war that was sparked by Russia’s 2022 invasion was “not going to end any time soon.”

The comments were made a day after Ukraine signed a treaty that gave the US priority access to its minerals, which, despite failing to provide security guarantees, has sparked concerns in Kyiv and Europe that US support might be revived and Ukrainian security might increase.

According to Vance, “It will be up to them to come to an agreement and stop this brutal, brutal conflict” in the interview. Vance referred to Russia and Ukraine. It’s not going anywhere, and it won’t end soon, exactly.

The minerals deal will be ratified on May 8th, according to Ukrainian legislator Yaroslav Zheleznyak, who posted the news on Telegram on Friday.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, argued on Thursday that the agreement was “truly equal agreement,” which was almost derailed following a heated exchange with Vance and President Donald Trump in February.

The agreement relieves Ukraine of previous US demands that included paying for Washington’s billions in military aid since its February 2022 invasion.

As Ukraine sought, it doesn’t provide any specific US security guarantees. Washington contends that bolstering US business interests in Ukraine would help Russia avoid Russia.

Still very different

Trump has vowed to broker a ceasefire, but his administration has warned that it might step down if Russia and Ukraine continue to attack one another.

The two nations are “closer, but they’re still far apart,” according to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who spoke to Fox News on Thursday.

The conflict continues in the meantime. Russia launched 150 drones overnight, according to the Ukrainian air force on Friday.

According to regional governor Ivan Fedorov, who wrote on Telegram, the industrial city of Zaporizhzhia’s strikes injured 29 people.

According to Governor Sergiy Lysak on Telegram, two men were hurt in a drone attack in the eastern Dnipropetrovsk region, with fires erupting at two locations.