U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will visit Washington on Friday to sign an agreement on rare earth minerals.
The deal, described as “preliminary” by Ukraine’s prime minister, involves Kyiv allocating part of its mineral resource revenue to a jointly controlled fund with the U.S.
The agreement is central to Ukraine’s efforts to secure U.S. support as Trump pushes for a swift resolution to the war with Russia. While Trump confirmed the deal includes rare earth minerals, he suggested the U.S. would not provide extensive security guarantees, stating, “I’m not going to make security guarantees beyond—very much. We’re going to have Europe do that.”
Zelenskiy said his discussions with Trump would focus on obtaining security assurances and ensuring continued U.S. financial and military aid. “For me and for all of us in the world, it is important that American aid is not halted. Strength is needed on the path to peace,” he said in a video address.
The visit follows remarks by U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, who stated last week that there was “no appetite” for additional Ukraine funding. Trump has previously criticized Zelenskiy and urged him to reach a quick settlement with Russia.
Meanwhile, Russia and the U.S. continue diplomatic engagements. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov confirmed that officials from both countries would meet in Istanbul on Thursday to discuss broader disputes. Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 12, followed by a U.S.-Russia meeting in Saudi Arabia on February 18.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said Kyiv would provide 50% of proceeds from future monetization of state-owned natural resource assets to a jointly controlled U.S.-Ukrainian fund. However, he emphasized that existing deposits, facilities, and licenses are not part of the agreement.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to meet Trump on Thursday, while European leaders will convene on Sunday to discuss their response to Trump’s latest policy shifts on Ukraine. The proposed deployment of European peacekeepers remains a divisive issue among EU leaders, with Russia rejecting the idea.
