Negotiations between the US and Ukraine: Trump sets date for Zelensky’s visit
26 February 19:37
US President Donald Trump has announced that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will visit Washington on Friday, February 28, to sign an agreement on joint development of Ukraine’s rare earth minerals. This was reported by Komersant ukrainskyi with reference to The Times.
Trump noted that the agreement would be a significant step in relations between the two countries and would allow the United States to receive significant financial benefits in the future in exchange for previous assistance to Ukraine.
“We are making good progress with Russia and Ukraine. President Zelenskiy is going to come on Friday, it’s confirmed. And we’re going to sign an agreement that will be a very big deal,” the US president said.
During this visit, the two leaders will sign an agreement on Ukrainian minerals.
“It will be a very big deal on rare earth metals and other things. Everything has already been agreed upon. We are satisfied with it. We will also make a deal with Russia and Ukraine to stop the killing of people,” Trump said.
However, on the same day, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that although a proposal to visit the United States had been received, the specific date and format of the meeting had not yet been determined. He confirmed the existence of a working date that coincides with the one announced by Trump, but emphasized that the final decision had not yet been made.
The US administration also had doubts about the feasibility of Zelenskyy’s visit without finalizing the terms of the deal. An unnamed White House official noted that it makes sense to invite the Ukrainian leader only if the mining agreement is finalized, and stressed that without it, the visit could be premature.
Earlier, on February 25, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said that a draft preliminary agreement with the United States was ready and provided for the creation of an investment fund for the restoration of Ukraine. Under the terms, Ukraine will direct 50% of the proceeds from the monetization of its natural resources to this fund for further investment in the country’s development.
