President Donald Trump announced today that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will visit the White House on Friday to sign a landmark minerals deal, a development that marks a significant step in tapping Ukraine’s vast mineral wealth and boosting post-war development in the country.
The agreement was reached on Tuesday after two weeks of tense negotiations.
“It’ll be a deal with rare earths and various other things. And, he would like to come. As I understand it, here, to sign it. And that would be great with me,” Trump told reporters. “I think they then have to get it approved by their council or whoever might approve it, but I’m sure that will happen.”
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The deal is expected to yield billions of dollars in revenue for the United States, helping to recoup costs incurred through U.S. support for Ukraine during the ongoing conflict.
However, the agreement comes at a time of heightened friction between the two leaders. Just last week, Trump had publicly derided Zelenskyy, referring to him as a “dictator,” while Zelenskyy retorted that Trump was “swallowing Russian disinformation.”
Despite the past public feuds, behind-the-scenes diplomacy has smoothed the way for this breakthrough.
This is a developing story.
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