Kiev, Ukraine (AP) — Germany’s top diplomat described U.S. President Donald Trump’s efforts to secure a truce in Russia and Ukraine’s three-year war on Tuesday as deadlocked, while China’s foreign minister said it was encouraging that talks between Washington and Moscow to find a solution were still ongoing. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who arrived in Kyiv for an unexpected visit, stated that “due to the deadlock” between the US and Russia on negotiating a cease-fire agreement, European allies’ sustained support for Ukraine in the war is “absolutely crucial.”

Trump asserted that progress was being made in the negotiations, but said he would consider slapping additional penalties to put pressure on Moscow, accusing Zelenskyy of attempting to back out of a deal with the US over access to Ukraine’s mineral riches. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Tuesday that the latest version of the mining contract was still being discussed, and that Ukraine has held its first round of talks on it. Despite Trump’s urging, Putin has effectively rejected a US plan for an immediate and complete 30-day cease-fire. A partial ceasefire in the Black Sea, which may allow for safer exports, has also failed to meet Kremlin demands.

“We take the models and solutions proposed by the Americans very seriously, but we can’t simply accept them all as they are,” Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov stated. Russia is withholding a deal to allow shipping in the Black Sea in order to “stall efforts toward a general ceasefire and extract additional concessions from the West,” according to a late Monday assessment by the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think group. In a message delivered late Sunday, Zelenskyy was forthright in his assessment of events. “Moscow blatantly makes a mockery of our partners’ efforts to advance a peace agenda,” he claimed.

Putin has repeatedly rejected a brief pause in hostilities, claiming that it would only help Ukraine and its Western backers by allowing them to replenish their arsenals. He has reiterated that Moscow seeks a comprehensive accord that will assure a long-term settlement. Trump has indicated that he may impose further oil sanctions on Russia. Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesman, said Tuesday that a breakthrough in discussions is not forthcoming. “The issues that we are discussing in connection with the Ukrainian settlement are quite complex, and they require a lot of additional efforts,” Peskov said during a conference call with reporters.

Meanwhile, Russia and Ukraine have continued to launch lethal attacks, and they are preparing for spring campaigns in their attrition battle along the nearly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) frontline. According to authorities, Russia fired no Shahed drones against Ukraine overnight, the first time in more than five months. But Andrii Kovalenko, the head of Ukraine’s Security Council’s counter-disinformation division, said there was no change in Russian approach. “For now, this means nothing,” he stated on Telegram.

Russia’s Defense Ministry accused Ukraine of conducting additional drone assaults on energy infrastructure in Russia’s Belgorod region and the Russia-controlled portion of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia province. Ukraine’s European backers said they will continue to help Kyiv’s attempts to repel Russia’s incursion. Putin is receiving military support from North Korea and Iran. China has also provided diplomatic support to Russia, as well as economic assistance through trade in energy and consumer products. On a visit to Moscow, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi was quoted as stating Tuesday that “certain results have been achieved” in Washington’s quest to end the war, citing improving US-Russia relations under Trump.

In an interview with Russian state news agency RIA Novosti, he stated that Beijing supports the goal of reaching “a fair, long-term, binding peace agreement acceptable to all parties involved.” At the start of his conversation with Putin, Wang stated that they will talk about future relations. “The China-Russia relationship will not stand still, but will only become more and more extensive,” he claimed.

A view shows ruins of a building in the abandoned town of Marinka (Maryinka), which was destroyed in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict in the Donetsk region, a Russian-controlled area of Ukraine, April 1, 2025. REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko