Key Takeaways
- US President Donald Trump says it’s okay with him if Ukraine’s President Vladimir Zelenskyy comes to Washington to meet him.
- The meeting is reportedly to discuss a deal on critical minerals and rare earths, which aims to grant the US a share of Ukraine’s resource revenues.
- Negotiations are ongoing, and the final terms could still change.
Washington: US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he does not mind if Ukraine’s President Vladimir Zelenskyy comes to Washington to see him.
“I hear that he’s coming on Friday, certainly it’s okay with me if he’d like to,” Trump said.
Earlier on Tuesday, Fox News reported that Zelenskyy is scheduled to travel to Washington this Friday for a meeting with Trump amid reports Kiev has agreed to sign the revised version of the deal on critical minerals and rare earths.
“We’re saying look… we want to get that money back,” Trump said.
On Tuesday, Bloomberg reported that the government of Ukraine is expected to recommend signing the deal with the United States on February 26.
The proposed agreement would grant Washington a share of Ukraine’s resource revenues. A key revision in the latest draft removes a previous requirement for Ukraine to commit to giving the US $500 billion in revenues from sales of oil, gas, and minerals. Sources told the paper that negotiations were ongoing and that the final terms could still change.
