Ukraine set to sign minerals deal, Trump confirms Zelensky visit

KYIV: Ukraine said on Wednesday it was set to approve a framework minerals deal with the United States but that its success would depend on talks with President Donald Trump.
The deal, under which Kyiv would hand some revenue from its mineral resources to a fund jointly controlled by the US, is central to Ukrainian attempts to win strong support from Trump as he seeks a quick end to Russia’s war, with US-Russian talks that have so far excluded Kyiv set to continue on Thursday.
Trump confirmed Zelensky would visit Washington on Friday but suggested Washington would not be making far-reaching security guarantees. Kyiv has been seeking US security guarantees as part of the deal, cast by Trump as a payment for US aid to Kyiv during the war.
“I’m not going to make security guarantees beyond — very much. We’re going to have Europe do that,” Trump said.
Zelensky said the most important thing was the current draft did not cast Ukraine as a debtor that would have to pay back hundreds of billions of dollars for past military assistance.
“This agreement could be part of future security guarantees… an agreement is an agreement, but we need to understand the broader vision,” he said in Kyiv.
“This deal could be a great success or it could pass quietly. And the big success depends on our conversation with President Trump.”
He said it would be a success if the US becomes a provider of security guarantees for Ukraine, which wants protection from future Russian attacks if a peace deal is reached.
Fighting has continued in Ukraine during the flurry of diplomacy, with Ukraine frequently coming under attack from Russian missiles and drones in Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War Two.