US President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he expects Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to sign a rare earth minerals agreement during his visit to Washington on Friday. The deal, Trump said, will deepen U.S. involvement in Ukraine’s resource development, particularly in oil and gas, and serve as a key pillar in the country’s post-war recovery.
As part of ongoing negotiations to end the Russia-Ukraine war, the Trump administration is pushing for an agreement that would grant the U.S. access to Ukraine’s mineral resources in return for the extensive military and economic aid provided since Russia’s 2022 invasion. According to the Council on Foreign Relations, the U.S. Congress has allocated $175 billion in assistance to Ukraine since the conflict began.
Trump called the minerals deal a major breakthrough, saying it would benefit both nations by ensuring Ukraine’s rebuilding efforts while offsetting costs for U.S. taxpayers.
“It’s Really Going to Get Us Into That Country”
Speaking to reporters alongside U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the White House, Trump emphasized the strategic importance of the deal.
“We’re going to be signing a very important agreement for both sides because it’s really going to get us into that country,” he said. “We’ll have a lot of people working there, and in that sense, it’s very good.”
While confirming that peace negotiations with Russia are progressing, Trump cautioned that no final deal had been reached.
“I think we’re very well advanced on a deal,” he said. “But we haven’t made one yet. I don’t like to talk about peacekeeping until we have a deal. I like to get things done.”
Trump also downplayed concerns that Russian President Vladimir Putin might renege on any agreement.
“I don’t believe he’s going to violate his word,” he said. “I don’t think he’ll be back once we make a deal. I think the deal is going to hold now.”
Tensions Between Trump and Zelenskyy
Trump’s relationship with Zelenskyy has been marked by sharp exchanges in recent weeks. The former president previously referred to the Ukrainian leader as a “dictator without elections” in a February 19 social media post, warning that he “better move fast or he’s not going to have a country left.”
When asked Thursday whether he still stood by those remarks, Trump appeared to backpedal.
“Did I say that?” he asked. “I can’t believe I said that. Next question.”
Zelenskyy, for his part, has accused Trump of pushing Russian “disinformation” and dismissed suggestions that he should call an election while Ukraine remains under martial law. The Ukrainian constitution prohibits elections under such conditions, and the country has been under martial law since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
International Coordination on Ukraine Peace Talks
The Trump administration has been actively working to broker a peace deal, with U.S. officials meeting Russian counterparts in Saudi Arabia on February 18. However, Ukraine’s exclusion from those talks sparked frustration from Zelenskyy, who insisted that “nobody decides anything behind our back.”
During Thursday’s meeting, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer reaffirmed Britain’s commitment to supporting Ukraine and emphasized the need for a durable peace agreement.
“We want to make sure this peace deal is enduring, that it lasts, that it’s a deal that goes down in history and that nobody breaches,” Starmer said.
French President Emmanuel Macron echoed similar sentiments earlier this week after meeting with Trump at the White House. While praising Trump’s diplomatic push, he urged caution in negotiations with Russia.
“We want peace,” Macron said in an interview. “And I think President Trump’s initiative is very positive. But my message was to be careful because we need something substantial for Ukraine.”
Macron also noted Trump’s influence in the process.
“The arrival of President Trump is a game-changer,” he said. “He has the deterrence capacity of the U.S. to reengage with Russia.”
As Friday’s meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy approaches, all eyes will be on whether the long-awaited minerals deal and broader peace negotiations take a decisive step forward.
