Trump, Zelenskiy to clinch minerals deal at White House meeting

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will meet with President Donald Trump on Friday to finalize an agreement for U.S. involvement in Ukraine’s mineral sector as Kyiv seeks to restore U.S. backing in its battle against Russia’s invasion while Trump engages in discussions with Moscow.

Zelenskiy, who has received billions of dollars in U.S. arms and moral backing from the Biden administration, is encountering a significantly different stance from Trump, who expresses a desire to swiftly end the three-year conflict, enhance relations with Russia, and recover billions invested in supporting Ukraine.

Trump has taken a significantly less dedicated approach to European security, a shift in attitude that has caused turmoil throughout Europe and increased concerns in Kyiv and among its partners that it might have to accept a peace agreement that benefits Russia.

The recently negotiated agreement would provide the United States access to Ukraine’s extensive mineral resources, but it lacks clear American security assurances for Ukraine, which is a letdown for Kyiv. Trump states that having Americans involved in business would act as a kind of assurance.

The exact value of the deal for the United States is not specified. Trump has stated that he anticipates earning hundreds of billions of dollars. Zelenskiy stated he would not endorse a deal that would burden his nation with debt for generations.

Ukraine will allocate 50% of “all income generated from the future monetization of all pertinent natural resource assets owned by the Ukrainian Government” to a reconstruction fund that is cooperatively owned and administered by both the United States and Ukraine. The arrangement does not detail the expenditure of the funds or specify particular assets it includes, although it mentions that they would encompass deposits of minerals, oil, and natural gas, in addition to infrastructure like gas terminals and ports.

Kyiv is optimistic that the agreement will encourage Trump to support Ukraine’s war efforts, and possibly gain backing from Congressional Republicans for additional aid. Ukraine has swiftly increased its defense industry production but still depends significantly on foreign military support, while also facing challenges in replenishing personnel as it confronts a substantially larger adversary.

Although Ukraine successfully fended off Russia’s invasion from the edges of Kyiv and regained significant areas in 2022, Russia continues to hold approximately one-fifth of Ukraine and has gradually gained territory following a Ukrainian counteroffensive that did not succeed in 2023. Kyiv’s forces control a piece of territory in Russia’s western Kursk area following a 2024 invasion.