Zelenskyy and Trump expect to sign Ukrainian mineral deals during White House visit
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited President Trump at the White House on Friday and the two leaders are expected to sign a deal on the U.S. visit to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals.
Mr Trump mentioned earlier this week that the U.S. has reached a deal with Zelenskyy to share Ukraine’s broad framework Mineral Resourcesthe Ukrainian leader came to the White House because he “wanted to sign with me”. Negotiations are still taking place on minerals despite public tensions between the two leaders in recent days. Mr. Trump appears to blame the beginning of the Russian war and label Zelensky as a “dictator”, while refusing to say that so is Russian President Vladimir Putin.
A Ukrainian official told CBS News that Kiev hopes the signing of the agreement will ensure the continued flow of security support Ukraine needs. Mr Trump said Thursday the deal would help repay U.S. taxpayers who have supported Ukraine over the past three years.
“Peace and security assurance is the key to ensuring that Russia can no longer destroy the lives of other countries,” Zelenskyy wrote in an article on Wednesday. He added: “For me and all of us in the world, we should not stop our support. We need strength on the road to peace.”
Mr. Trump spoke with Putin earlier this month and said Russian leaders hoped to end the war. Last week, the president said he believed Russia met with Russian negotiators in Saudi Arabia without Ukraine’s representative, so he trusted Russia to negotiate. The president said on Thursday that he believed Putin would abide by any peace agreement.
“I don’t believe he will violate his words,” Trump said.
Mr. Trump last week Call Zelenskyy a “dictator”, It refers to the five-year term of Ukrainian leaders expired last year and no new elections were held. Ukraine has been under martial law shortly after the war began in 2022, and the country’s constitution prohibits martial law orders. On Monday, during a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, Mr. Trump was asked whether he saw Putin as a dictator because he called Zelenskyy a dictator.
“I won’t use these words easily, I think we’re going to see how everything works,” he replied. “Let’s see what happens.”
Mr. Trump even blamed Kyiv for being invaded by Russia.
“You should never start, you could have reached a deal,” Trump said last week of Ukraine.
Officials in Trump’s supreme administration are unwilling to criticize Putin. When the reporter asked him if he believed Putin was a dictator, national security adviser Mike Waltz did not directly answer. He also evaded a question about who takes more responsibility for the war, Russia or Ukraine.
“His goal is to make this war end, period,” Walz said when referring to Mr. Trump.
The President often talks about war Never start If he had been president, not Joe Biden. During the campaign, Mr. Trump vowed that he would end the war between Russia and Ukraine before taking office.
“I will be fighting a horrible war between Russia and Ukraine shortly after I won the presidency, before I even arrive at the Oval Office,” Trump said at a rally in June. “I will settle it before I even become president.”
But after winning the election, Mr. Trump suggested that it might be more difficult to reach peace between Russia and Ukraine than to establish peace in the Middle East.
“I think what’s actually more difficult is the situation in Russia-Ukraine,” Trump said in December. “I think it’s more difficult.”
Zelenskyy said earlier this week that he would give up his presidency if it did so would achieve lasting peace and NATO membership.
“If peace is to be achieved, you really need me to give up on the post, I’m ready,” Zelenskyy said on a forum.
