US President Donald Trump said he was expecting Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy to visit Washington on Friday to sign a “very big deal.”
It comes as sources confirmed to several news agencies that Ukraine and the United States have agreed on a draft broad minerals deal, which may ease recent tensions between Trump and Zelenskyy.
The deal will see the US jointly develop Ukraine’s mineral wealth, with revenues going to a new fund shared by both countries, according to senior Ukrainian officials, who were quoted by several news agencies.
Draft deal lacks US security guarantees for Ukraine
Zelenskyy had rejected Trump’s demand for $500 billion in valuable minerals, far exceeding the $60 billion in US military aid to Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion. The demand is not included in the draft agreement.
Trump did say, “It could be a trillion-dollar deal. It could be whatever.”
The deal, however, does not provide the security guarantees Ukraine wanted. While the draft mentions “security,” it doesn’t specify the US role. One official said that the two presidents will discuss this when they meet.
Trump mentioned that “some form” of peacekeeping troops will be necessary for Ukraine. Some European countries are willing to send peacekeeping forces to Ukraine. On Monday, Trump said that Moscow would agree to these peacekeepers. However, the Kremlin denied this on Tuesday.
Tense US-Ukraine relationship
Ukraine on Monday marked the bleakest anniversary yet as it struggles to fend off the Russian invasion, as it enters its fourth year.
Ukraine hopes the minerals deal will improve relations with the Trump administration, which have quickly soured since the US President started his second term.
Last week, Trump branded Zelenskyy a “dictator without elections” who had lost the support of the Ukrainian people, telling him he “better move fast” to negotiate an end to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine or he might not have a country left, among other things.
Zelenskyy had earlier accused Trump of living in a Russian “disinformation space.” One Ukrainian official said Kyiv hopes that signing the agreement will ensure the continued flow of US military support that Ukraine urgently needs.
