 "US President Donald Trump has labelled his Ukrainian counterpart Zelenskyy as a dictator with very poor approval ratings. File image/Reuters")
US President Donald Trump has said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to visit the White House on Friday to sign a rare earth minerals deal.
This is part of a deal Trump is seeking to continue providing US military aid to Ukraine to continue its fight against Russia.
The announcement came after days of tense talks between the US and Ukraine. Zelenskyy claimed that the US was pushing him to sign a $500 billion deal that would take “ten generations” of Ukrainians to repay.
Ukraine agrees on terms of deal
Multiple reports on Tuesday night said that both sides had agreed on the terms of the deal on rare earth minerals.
Ukraine and the US reached an agreement on a draft mineral deal after Kyiv agreed to the terms of Ukraine’s rare earth minerals, news agency AP reported, citing Ukrainian officials.
This deal aims to secure continued US military aid for Ukraine amidst its ongoing conflict with Russia.
The two countries will establish joint ownership of a fund to develop the country’s mineral resources. The US is set to receive 50 per cent of future proceeds from state-owned resources, including minerals, oil, and gas.
Senior Ukrainian official said that Kyiv hopes signing the agreement will ensure the continued flow of US military support, which Ukraine urgently needs.
The agreement could be signed as early as Friday. According to Ukrainian officials, plans are being drawn up for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to travel to Washington to meet Trump.
Impact Shorts
View AllWar of words between Trump and Zelenskyy
The visit is set to take place after the two leaders were engaged in a hostile war of words.
Earlier, Trump described Zelenskyy as “a dictator without elections” and claimed his public support was very low.
Russia-US talks in Saudi Arabia
The United States and Russia are engaging in efforts to resolve the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. High-level officials from both nations met in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, marking the most extensive dialogue since the onset of hostilities in 2022.
However, Ukraine and European nations were not part of these discussions.