 "Trump hosts Zelenskyy at White House, says he is ‘for both Ukraine and Russia’; promises 'fair' minerals deal")
US President Donald Trump on Friday hosted his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Whit House and told him that he would support both Ukraine and Russia in the negotiations and also promised a “very fair” minerals deal that would permit US access to Ukraine’s natural resources.
According to The Guardian report, Trump said that the minerals agreement will be signed at the press conference later, adding that he considers it a “very fair deal”, and he intends to use rare earths materials to “use it for all we do, including AI and military weapons.”
Trump told Zelenskyy that the bottom line of the new deal is that “you’re not going to go back to fighting” and that the truce with Russia is “fairly close”.
In response, Zelensky urged Trump that there should be “no compromises” with Russian President Vladimir Putin as the parties negotiate to end the war after Moscow’s invasion.
Showing Trump pictures of war atrocities at a White House meeting, Zelenskyy said there should be “no compromises with a killer on our territory.”
He also added that “I think President Trump is on our side.”
Talking about his role in the negotiations, The Guardian quoted Trump as saying, “I am in the middle, I am for both Ukraine and Russia.” “I want to get it solved,” he added.
The US president said that while Ukraine will have to make compromises, it’s only because “you can’t do any deals without compromises.”
The compromises “will not be as big as some people think you’re going to have to make,” The Guardian quoted Trump as saying to Zelenskyy.
Impact Shorts
View AllMinutes before walking into the White House, Zelenskyy posted a very diplomatic social media update about his earlier meetings with US senators.
Важливий візит до Америки. Зустрівся з двопартійною делегацією Сенату США у Вашингтоні.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) February 28, 2025
Продовження військової допомоги нашій державі та відповідні законодавчі ініціативи, зустріч із Президентом Трампом, зусилля для досягнення справедливого й міцного миру, наше бачення… pic.twitter.com/oITgYf8rvN
“Our discussions focused on the continued military assistance for Ukraine, relevant legislative initiatives, my meeting with President Trump, efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace, our vision for ending the war, and the importance of robust security guarantees,” said Zelenskyy.
“We take pride in having strategic partners and friends like the United States,” he added.
“We are grateful for the unwavering bicameral and bipartisan support for Ukraine throughout all three years of Russia’s full-scale aggression,” he said.
With inputs from agencies
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