A senior Ukrainian official revealed to the BBC last night that the terms of a deal granting the United States access to Ukraine’s rare minerals have been agreed upon. Reports indicate that a previous U.S. request for $500 billion in potential revenues from Ukraine’s natural resources has been dropped. However, the deal does not include security guarantees for Ukraine, a key demand from Kyiv.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized the importance of including at least a “sentence” about security assurances in the agreement. In response, U.S. President Donald Trumpreiterated his position that such guarantees should come from Europe, Ukraine’s “next-door neighbour.”
Despite the unresolved issue, Trump confirmed that he and Zelenskyy will finalize the terms of the agreement during a meeting in Washington, D.C., on Friday. During his first cabinet meeting, Trump also hinted at a potential Russia-Ukraine ceasefire, suggesting that Russian President Vladimir Putinwould need to make “concessions” for such a deal to materialize.
The U.S. president faces a busy end to the week, as he is also set to host UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer for talks on Thursday, with Ukraine expected to dominate the agenda.
