US President Donald Trump will host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday to sign what Trump described as “a very big agreement” focused on sharing revenue from Ukraine’s rare earth mineral deposits, Politico reported. Despite this economic partnership, the two leaders remain divided on the issue of US security guarantees for Ukraine once its ongoing war with Russia concludes.
“It’s now confirmed, and we’re going to be signing an agreement,” Trump announced on Wednesday at the start of his first Cabinet meeting at the White House.
Trump indicated that the US would limit its security commitments to Ukraine, urging European nations to take on more responsibility due to their geographic proximity.
“I’m not going to make security guarantees beyond very much. We’re going to have Europe do that, because Europe is their next-door neighbor. But we’ll make sure everything goes well,” Trump said. He also emphasized the importance of Ukraine’s rare earth resources, calling the upcoming partnership crucial for the US’s economic interests.
Trump noted that US Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Energy Secretary Chris Wright would collaborate on the deal.
“The deal we’re making brings us great wealth. We get back the money we spent, and we hope this will help settle things up,” Trump added.
While the specifics of the agreement remain undisclosed, Trump framed it as a way for the US to recover some of the $120 billion in aid it has provided to Ukraine over the three-year conflict. Trump inaccurately claimed the US had given Ukraine $350 billion, a figure disputed by official reports.
“We’ve been able to make a deal where we’re going to get our money back,” Trump said. “We’re happy about it.”
In Kyiv, Zelenskyy called the agreement “a beginning” but stressed that his discussions with Trump would be crucial in addressing security concerns and the future of US military aid.
“I will understand everything after I talk to Trump. For me, the most important thing is to find out whether the US will stop military aid or not,” Zelenskyy told reporters. “If it stops, will we be able to buy weapons directly from the US, maybe using frozen Russian assets?”
This high-stakes meeting comes as Trump officially kicked off his second term, holding his first Cabinet meeting and promising a successful administration.
“We put together a great Cabinet,” Trump said in a post on X. “We’ve been given a lot of credit for having a very successful first month, and we want to make that many years.”
