US shifts focus from peace talks to minerals in Ukraine

The U.S. will cease its attempts to negotiate a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia in the following days if there is no signal that an agreement is reachable, stated U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday in Paris.

Rubio, who met with leaders from France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine, noted that U.S. President Donald Trump remains committed to reaching an agreement but has many "other priorities" worldwide. The U.S. will focus on other matters if there are no signs of progress.

On Thursday, Ukraine and the United States virtually signed a letter of intent concerning the extraction of Ukrainian resources by American entities. Julia Svyrydenko, Ukraine's First Deputy Prime Minister, announced that a letter of intent was signed with the USA concerning the exploitation of Ukrainian mineral deposits. "We are happy to announce the signing, with our American partners, of a Memorandum of Intent, which paves the way for an Economic Partnership Agreement and the establishment of the Investment Fund for the Reconstruction of Ukraine," Svyrydenko wrote on platform X.

Rubio's statements contradict comments made by Steve Witkoff, a special envoy for the Middle East. Recently, in an interview on Fox News, he "finally" got an answer to Russian President Vladimir Putin's demands for peace

A week ago, Witkoff engaged in a four-hour discussion with Putin and his advisors in St. Petersburg. Witkoff did not disclose Putin's demands, but he stated that the peace agreement primarily concerns the "five territories"—regions of Ukraine annexed by Russia—but also includes many other issues.

Witkoff also added, "I believe there's a possibility to reshape the Russian-United States relationship through some very compelling commercial opportunities that I think give real stability to the region toon."