Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is in Paris to meet Ukrainian and European leaders, expressed frustration at the lack of progress in peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow.

President Trump’s envoy says the territories are key to resolving the war, but their status could in fact become a sticking point to any deal.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s special envoy, will travel to Paris this week for talks with European allies on U.S. efforts to negotiate a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.

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.

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.

Ukrainian First Deputy Prime and Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko speaks with Reuters, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine February 1, 2024. REUTERS/Sergiy Voloshin/File Photo (Reuters) - Ukraine and the United States on Thursday signed a memorandum as an initial step towards the clinching of an agreement on developing minerals in Ukraine,