Trump: Zelensky Will Sign Deal at White House on Friday

President Trump said Wednesday that Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky will visit the White House on Friday to sign a long-sought minerals deal that will closely tie the two countries together for years to come. As the AP reports, Trump made the announcement at the start of the first Cabinet meeting of his second term, hailing the deal as "a very big agreement." Trump has framed the emerging deal, which would give the US access to so-called rare earth deposits in Ukraine, as a chance for Kyiv to pay back the US for aid already sent for the war effort under President Biden. "The previous administration put us in a very bad position, but we've been able to make a deal where we're going to get the money back and a lot of money in the future," Trump said.

Zelensky said early Wednesday in Kyiv that a framework of an economic deal had been reached, but that it did not yet include US security guarantees, which his country sees as vital. The full agreement could hinge on the upcoming talks in Washington. The framework is a preliminary step toward a comprehensive package that will be subject to ratification by the Ukrainian parliament. Zelensky said he expected a wide-ranging conversation with Trump. The economic agreement "may be part of future security guarantees, but I want to understand the broader vision. What awaits Ukraine?" Zelensky said.

The latest version of the agreement, seen by the AP, says the US "supports Ukraine's efforts to obtain security guarantees needed to establish lasting peace." It does not spell out any US commitment. "Participants will seek to identify any necessary steps to protect mutual investments as defined in the ... agreement," it says. After Zelensky spoke, a White House official made clear that accepting the agreement would be a precondition of Trump's invitation to meet Friday. "This agreement may either be a great success or quietly fade away," Zelensky said. "And I believe success depends on our conversation with President Trump. I want to coordinate with the US." (More Volodymyr Zelensky stories.)