The signed memorandum of understanding was thin on details, and the White House did not comment. But President Trump has said he expects to sign a full minerals deal with Kyiv soon.

Kyiv said on Friday it aims to complete talks by the end of next week about a deal with Washington on jointly exploiting Ukrainian mineral resources, an agreement Ukrainian officials hope will go some way to firming up softening U.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that "the United States will stop trying to broker a Russia-Ukraine peace deal within days." Concurrently, Kyiv and Washington signed a letter of intent concerning the exploitation of mineral deposits in Ukraine.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s international envoy, held high level talks with Ukrainian and European officials in Paris at a summit Thursday aimed at bolstering Ukraine’s defenses against Russia’s unrelenting invasion.

Talks in Paris between U.S. officials Marco Rubio and Steve Witkoff, Ukraine and Europe's top three powers were excellent and started a process where Europeans are involved in talks over Ukraine's future,

A delegation headed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Paris on Thursday to hold meetings on the conflict in Ukraine in an attempt to bridge a growing transatlantic rift on how to end the war.