US President Donald Trump welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House on Friday. Zelensky arrived wearing a T-shirt, cargo pants, and work boots. Reacting to his outfit, Trump told the media, “He's all dressed up today,” as they shook hands.
All about US-Ukraine minerals deal
During their meeting, the two world leaders are expected to finalise an agreement on Ukraine’s rare earth minerals.
Earlier this week, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said the preliminary agreement establishes an "investment fund" to support the reconstruction of war-torn Ukraine. The fund will be managed “on equal terms” by Kyiv and Washington, BBC reported.
Under the terms of the deal, Ukraine will contribute 50% of future profits from state-owned mineral resources to the fund. The fund will then invest “to promote the safety, security and prosperity of Ukraine.”
{{/usCountry}}Under the terms of the deal, Ukraine will contribute 50% of future profits from state-owned mineral resources to the fund. The fund will then invest “to promote the safety, security and prosperity of Ukraine.”
{{/usCountry}}As per the agreement, the US government will, subject to US law, “maintain a long-term financial commitment to the development of a stable and economically prosperous Ukraine.”
Meanwhile, Zelensky has been pushing for the inclusion of a firm security guarantee from the US in the deal. As of Wednesday, no such guarantee had been made.
"I wanted to have a sentence on security guarantees for Ukraine, and it's important that it's there," Zelensky said on Wednesday, BBC reported.
When asked if he would abandon the agreement if Trump failed to provide the guarantee, Zelensky told BBC, “I want to find a Nato path or something similar. If we don't get security guarantees, we won't have a ceasefire, nothing will work, nothing.”
Last week, Trump had criticised Zelensky, labeling him a “dictator without elections.” However, in the recent days, Trump has softened his stance on the Ukrainian president.
Speaking about Zelensky at a joint press conference with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Trump said, “I have a lot of respect for him.”
“We're going to get along really well,” he added.