Zelenskyy Set to Sign Major Minerals Deal with Trump Amid Navy Support Talks
Donald Trump has announced that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to visit the White House on Friday to sign a significant deal concerning rare earth minerals. This agreement would facilitate U.S. military aid aimed at bolstering Ukraine's defenses against Russia's ongoing invasion. The announcement came after intensive negotiations where Zelenskyy raised concerns that the U.S. was exerting pressure to finalize a deal purportedly valued at over $500 billion, a figure that could burden future generations of Ukrainians with repayment obligations.
In remarks made during a press briefing at the Oval Office, Trump confirmed Zelenskyy's impending visit, emphasizing the potential significance of the agreement. "I hear that he's coming on Friday," Trump stated. "Certainly, it's OK with me if he'd like to. And he would like to sign it together with me. And I understand that's a big deal, a very big deal."
According to a report from the Financial Times, the newly crafted terms of the deal omit the previously contentious clause that would have entitled the U.S. to $500 billion in potential revenue from the extraction of critical minerals and Ukrainian oil and gas resources. Trump further commented on the necessity of U.S. support, noting, "Without the United States and its money and its military equipment, this war would have been over in a very short period of time." He also hinted at the need for some form of peacekeeping in Ukraine following any peace agreement.
In other related developments, French President Emmanuel Macron is scheduled to brief European leaders about security discussions following his meeting with Trump. European defense ministers are expected to convene in London on Sunday for an urgent summit as part of a continent-wide initiative on security.
There are increasing calls for the repurposing of large sums of Russian government assets that have been frozen in the international banking system to fully finance Ukraine’s defense. The G7 and European powers have identified ways to utilize interest income from these financial assets to aid Ukraine, yet the principal funds have remained inaccessible since the outset of the invasion in February 2022.
The Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Petr Fiala, has stated that Ukraine received 500,000 artillery shells procured from outside Europe in 2024, illustrating the continuous international support for the Ukrainian military effort.
Despite Trump's assertions regarding potential European peacekeeping troops in Ukraine, the Kremlin has dismissed this claim. Russian spokesperson Dmitry Peskov reiterated the government's firm stance against the deployment of NATO peacekeepers in Ukraine.
A joint report produced by the Government of Ukraine, the World Bank, the European Commission, and the United Nations estimates that the cost of reconstruction and recovery for Ukraine, following three years of extensive warfare, will reach approximately $524 billion over the next decade.
As the geopolitical landscape continues to evolve, the emphasis on critical minerals – resources essential for technology and defense manufacturing – is becoming more pronounced. The significance of Ukraine’s rich deposits of rare earth minerals could play a pivotal role in shaping the future of both regional and global defense strategies.
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