Trump Confirms Zelenskyy to Visit White House Friday for Rare Earth Minerals Deal

• Feb 26, 2025

President says Ukrainian leader to sign minerals agreement amid reports of finalized US-Ukraine aid terms

Donald Trump announced that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to visit the White House on Friday to sign a significant rare earth minerals deal, a move tied to US military aid for Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s full-scale invasion.

The development follows intense negotiations, during which Zelenskyy had expressed concerns over US pressure to accept a $500 billion deal that he warned could financially burden Ukraine for generations. Late Tuesday, reports emerged that a final agreement had been reached.

“I hear that he’s coming on Friday,” Trump stated in the Oval Office. “Certainly, it’s OK with me if he’d like to. And he would like to sign it together with me. And I understand that’s a big deal, very big deal.”

According to the Financial Times, which first broke the news, the finalized agreement omits the previously proposed demand for US access to $500 billion in potential revenue from Ukraine’s vast natural resources, including rare earth metals, oil, and gas.

The framework of the deal establishes a joint fund for the development of Ukraine’s mineral resources, albeit with conditions regarding resources that are already contributing to Ukraine’s state budget. While this version of the agreement is seen as more favorable to Kyiv compared to the original proposal from Washington, it does not include the long-term security guarantees Ukraine had sought. Certain specifics remain unclear, particularly the US’s ownership stake in the fund.

When asked about Ukraine’s benefits under the deal, Trump responded, “$350 billion, military equipment, and the right to fight on.”

“We’ve pretty much negotiated our deal on earth and various other things,” he continued. “We’ll be looking at general security for Ukraine later on. I don’t think that’s going to be a problem. There are a lot of people that want to do it, and I spoke with Russia about it. They didn’t seem to have a problem with it. So I think they understand they’re not going back. And once we do this, they’re not going back.”

Neither the US nor Ukrainian governments immediately provided comments regarding the agreement’s terms.

The initial US proposal, which would have granted Washington full financial control over the mineral extraction fund, sparked significant backlash in Ukraine and among European allies. “I am not signing something that 10 generations of Ukrainians will have to repay,” Zelenskyy had stated in opposition to the original terms. The negotiations had also been accompanied by a public exchange of criticism, with Trump calling Zelenskyy a “dictator without elections,” echoing a common Kremlin narrative.

The US is particularly interested in Ukraine’s rich deposits of materials essential for modern technology, including rare earth metals used in batteries, electronics, wind turbines, and military equipment.

Earlier this week, Ukrainian officials had signaled that the agreement was nearing completion. Olha Stefanishyna, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration, confirmed on Monday that talks were in their final stages. “The negotiations have been very constructive, with nearly all key details finalized. We are committed to completing this swiftly to proceed with its signature. We hope both US and Ukrainian leaders might sign and endorse it in Washington soon to showcase our commitment for decades to come.”

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed a separate minerals development deal for Russian-controlled Ukrainian territories. On Wednesday, Kirill Dmitriev, newly appointed as Russia’s special envoy on international economic cooperation, indicated that both Russia and Ukraine could explore joint economic projects. Dmitriev, seen as instrumental in Moscow’s efforts to establish ties with Trump’s administration, suggested that Russia possesses significantly greater mineral resources than Ukraine.

The agreement’s finalization and Zelenskyy’s anticipated visit to Washington mark a crucial step in US-Ukraine relations as the war with Russia continues.