Washington [US], February 26: US President Donald Trump said on February 25 that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had agreed to a draft mineral agreement with the US, according to Fox News.
"We've been negotiating quite a bit on our deal on [rare earths] and many other things. We'll be looking at. mutual security for Ukraine later. I don't think that's going to be a problem. There's a lot of people who want to do that and I've talked to Russia about it. They don't seem to have a problem with that," President Trump told reporters.
President Trump also told reporters that the Ukrainian leader plans to come to Washington DC on February 28 to meet with him after officials agree to the terms of the deal. However, Trump also said the two leaders are still in the negotiation stage.
"It's going to be a rare earths deal and a lot of other things. And I understand he wants to come here and sign it. And that would be great for me," Trump said. "I think then they'd have to get approval from the council or whoever it is, but I'm sure it'll happen," Fox News quoted the White House boss as saying.
Officials from both sides have agreed to the draft and recommended signing, Reuters reported, citing sources.
It was not immediately clear whether the draft agreement included any specific US security guarantees that Ukraine had sought or whether Washington would commit to additional military support, Reuters reported.
President Zelensky has previously refused to sign a draft mineral deal as Washington seeks to gain rights to $500 billion in Ukraine's natural resources. Kyiv argues that it has received far less than the amount in US aid and that the deal lacks the security guarantees Ukraine needs.
Asked what Ukraine would get in return for the minerals deal, Mr Trump cited what he said was $350bn already provided by the US "and a lot of. military equipment and the right to continue fighting".
As for how long the US will continue to provide weapons to Ukraine, President Trump said: "It may continue for a period of time, and it may continue until we make a deal with Russia." Trump again predicted that the Russia-Ukraine conflict could end quickly, although he did not say how that might happen.
Future arms shipments are still being discussed between Washington and Kyiv, one of the sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
