Zelensky in Washington to Finalize Ukraine-US Minerals Deal with Trump

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is in Washington to discuss the final details of a Ukraine-US minerals deal with former President Donald Trump. Read more on the high-stakes talks.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is in Washington, D.C., to meet with Donald Trump.

The duo is scheduled to discuss—and possibly finalize—a deal granting the US access to rare minerals from Ukraine.

The deal’s terms have been settled, but Zelensky is advocating for the inclusion of Ukrainian security guarantees. Trump believes that addressing this issue should fall to Europe. Here’s what we know about the agreement so far:

Their meeting this afternoon takes place a week after Zelensky stated that Trump was “living in a disinformation space” crafted by Russia, while the US president accused his Ukrainian counterpart of being a “dictator.”

During a news conference on Thursday with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Trump seemed to retract his previous comment. When asked by the BBC’s Chris Mason, “Did I say that?” he responded incredulously: “I can’t believe I said that.”

We are receiving reactions from Kyiv, where residents eagerly await the results of today’s discussions between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

In an interview with the BBC, Diana mentioned that she told her children only one thing in the morning: “We need to pray because today our president is going to sign a peace agreement.”

It’s difficult to explain what a minerals agreement is to children. However, they easily understand the concept of peace and can imagine how life will be once the war ends. Therefore, I hope our president succeeds in his efforts and that God supports him.

Arsenii states, “If Trump desires our minerals, we must make that sacrifice to prevent more people and children from dying due to this war. I’ve lost many family members and friends in this conflict; it’s time for it to end.”

Vitalii questions, “What grants him the authority to make decisions without involving the Ukrainian people?” He adds, “According to our Constitution, all subsoil resources belong to the people of Ukraine—not Zelenskyy. That’s it… America is a strong nation and we need its protection. We require guarantees.”

Ihor told the BBC that he shares Zelensky’s view on this deal, acknowledging it could either “make a significant impact or no difference at all.”

“Our primary objective is to secure support from our key partner, the United States,” he adds. “Glory to Ukraine! We are grateful for America’s assistance.”

I’ve just arrived at the White House, and it’s still relatively quiet as we await Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s arrival.

Today’s events will commence at 11:00 AM EST (4:00 PM GMT), starting with a meeting between Trump and Zelensky just outside the West Wing.

The White House has already developed considerable expertise in managing these meticulously planned arrivals, especially following recent visits from French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer earlier this week.

After their arrival, the two will commence a bilateral meeting followed by lunch, with part of the event accessible to a small group of reporters.

In past visits, these meetings often evolved into lengthy question-and-answer sessions, sometimes putting foreign leaders in challenging positions where they had to diplomatically respond to Trump’s remarks in front of the global media.

At 1:00 PM EST (6:00 PM GMT), the two will hold a joint news conference, where the global media will be eager for concrete details about the deal.

In the afternoon at 5:00 PM EST (10:00 PM GMT), Trump will leave the White House to head to Palm Beach, where he plans to spend the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago estate.

A senior adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is optimistic about the US-Ukraine minerals agreement anticipated to be finalized later today.

“This is a foundational agreement that sets the stage for a strategic partnership with the USA,” Mykhaylo Podolyak tells Ukrainian TV.

“It will include several appendices detailing numerical outlines of investment programs, the allocation of income from joint mineral exploitation, along with other sections that describe security guarantees,” adds Podolyak.

He states that the agreement will detail both the types and amounts of weaponry Ukraine is set to receive, as well as identify the sources of funding for aid to Ukraine.

When asked if he has seen the final draft of the agreement, Podolyak responds: “Yes, naturally.”