Ukraine accuses Russia of violating its own truce over 700 times as Kyiv
ratifies US minerals deal
[May 09, 2025]
By ILLIA NOVIKOV
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia and Ukraine both reported attacks on their
forces Thursday on the first day of a 72-hour ceasefire called by
Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Ukrainian lawmakers unanimously
approved a landmark minerals deal with the U.S.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha accused Russia of violating its
own ceasefire 734 times between midnight and midday Thursday. He called
the ceasefire a “farce” on the social media platform X.
The unilateral ceasefire coincides with Russia’s biggest secular
holiday, the 80th anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany. Kyiv has
pressed for a longer-term ceasefire.
Meanwhile at the Kremlin, Putin held talks with Chinese President Xi
Jinping, whom the Russian leader earlier described as Moscow’s “main
guest” at Friday’s Victory Day festivities. In the evening, Putin hosted
Xi and other foreign leaders for a gala dinner in an apparent effort to
showcase Russia's global clout.
The Ukrainian parliament's ratification of the minerals deal marked a
key step in a deal that will allow Washington access to Ukraine’s
largely untapped minerals, deepen strategic ties and create a joint
investment fund with the U.S. for the reconstruction of Ukraine.
“This document is not merely a legal construct, it is the foundation of
a new model of interaction with a key strategic partner,” Ukraine's
economics minister, Yuliia Svyrydenko, wrote on X.
The minerals agreement was approved by all 338 members of parliament,
far surpassing the required 226 votes, Ukrainian lawmaker Yaroslav
Zheleznyak wrote on his Telegram account. No lawmaker abstained.
In a statement, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked everyone
involved in the deal and said he expected the ratified agreement to be
submitted to his office soon.
"Once the legal procedures are complete, we will be able to begin
establishing the fund,” he said.
Two more technical agreements will have to be developed and signed by
both sides, Svyrydenko said. Those deals include “a limited partnership
agreement and an agreement that essentially determines how the fund will
function,” she told reporters ahead of the vote.
She said the U.S. expects the work on the documents to take “weeks, not
months.”
U.S. President Donald Trump talked by phone with Zelenskyy following the
ratification, said Dmytro Lytvyn, an adviser to the Ukrainian president.
Details of the call were not immediately released.
Russian bombs hit Ukraine in first hours of ceasefire
In the opening hours of Moscow's ceasefire, Russian bombs struck
northeast Ukraine, killing at least one civilian, Ukrainian officials
said. Artillery assaults took place across the 1,000-kilometer
(620-mile) front line, although with less intensity than in the previous
24 hours, officials said.
Sybiha said Russia carried out 63 assaults along the front line, 23 of
which were still ongoing as of midday. Ukraine responded
"appropriately,” he said, and shared information about the attacks with
the U.S, the European Union and others.
“We will not let Putin fool anyone when he does not even keep his own
word,” Sybiha said.
Russian attacks also took place near Chasiv Yar in the Donetsk region,
Oleh Petrasiuk, a spokesman with Ukraine's 24th Mechanized Brigade, told
The Associated Press by phone.
One person died and two were wounded when Russian forces dropped guided
bombs on residential areas near the border in the northeast Sumy region,
the regional prosecutor's office said.
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In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Services on May 7,
2025, smoke rises from a building damaged by a Russian strike in
Uman, Ukraine. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)
Large-scale missile and drone attacks, which have been a near-daily
occurrence in Ukraine in recent weeks, abated for a short time, with no
assaults recorded since 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, the Ukrainian air force
said.
Zelenskyy had previously cast doubt on the ceasefire, calling it
“manipulation” as U.S.-led peace efforts stalled. “For some reason,
everyone is supposed to wait until May 8 before ceasing fire — just to
provide Putin with silence for his parade,” Zelenskyy said.
In March, the United States proposed a 30-day truce in the war, which
Ukraine accepted, but the Kremlin has held out for ceasefire terms more
to its liking.
The Russian Defense Ministry accused Ukrainian forces of attacking its
positions and said Russian forces would continue to “mirror” Ukraine’s
actions during the Kremlin’s ceasefire.
The Russian regions of Belgorod, Lipetsk, Orenburg, Ryazan and Tambov
came under a drone-threat alert overnight, but there were no reports of
any drones being shot down or intercepted. Russia's civil aviation
authority Rosaviatsia briefly imposed restrictions on flights to and
from the airport in Nizhny Novgorod.
Putin praises relations with Xi, welcomes other foreign leaders
In welcoming Xi, Putin said that “the brotherhood of arms between our
peoples, which developed during the harsh war years, is one of the
fundamental foundations of modern Russian-Chinese relations.”
He added that Moscow and Beijing were developing ties “for the benefit
of the peoples of both countries and not against anyone.”
Xi, in turn, said that “history and reality have fully proved that the
continuous development and deepening of China-Russia relations is a
necessity for the friendship between the two peoples from generation to
generation." He also called for safeguarding “international fairness and
justice.”
Putin and Xi have met over 40 times and developed strong personal ties
as both countries face tensions with the West.
China offered robust diplomatic support to Moscow after its 2022
full-scale invasion of Ukraine and has emerged as a top market for
Russian oil and gas, helping to fill the Kremlin’s war coffers. Russia
has relied on China as the main source of machinery and electronics to
keep its military running after Western sanctions curtailed high-tech
supplies.
Other foreign leaders who arrived in Moscow this week for the World War
II anniversary celebrations included Brazilian President Luiz Inácio
Lula da Silva, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Slovakian Prime
Minister Robert Fico, as well as the leaders of Cuba, Vietnam and
Venezuela, and presidents of several former Soviet nations.
In a brief opening speech at the Kremlin gala, Putin urged “solidarity
in addressing the pressing challenges of our time and to take shared
responsibility for future generations.”
The lineup of guests reflected Russia's efforts to cement the alliances
it has forged while seeking a counterbalance to the West amid the war in
Ukraine. Some past celebrations drew top Western leaders at a time of
friendlier ties.
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Associated Press journalist Evgeniy Maloletka contributed to this
report.
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