A week after Donald Trump called Volodymyr Zelensky a dictator, the U.S. president is set to host the Ukrainian leader at the White House and sign a deal that will grant the U.S. access to Ukraine’s rare minerals.
This deal marks a significant shift in U.S. foreign policy, following a week of intense diplomacy, as Ukraine seeks to bolster international support despite Trump’s recent overtures to Russia.
Trump’s stance on Ukraine changed abruptly after his phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin two weeks ago, during which they discussed ending the war without Ukrainian involvement. He also criticized Zelensky, calling him a “dictator” and blaming Ukraine for Russia’s 2022 invasion.
However, in recent days, Trump has softened his tone. After meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Trump said he had “a lot of respect for Zelensky” and expressed confidence they would get along well. Trump even backtracked on his previous “dictator” comment, admitting, “I can’t believe I said that.”
The fallout from the initial comment stemmed from Zelensky’s reluctance to accept the U.S. proposal, which would grant Washington preferential access to Ukrainian resources, including oil, gas, and rare earth minerals. Zelensky had initially demanded U.S. security guarantees, which Trump refused to provide.
Trump, emphasizing the necessity of the deal to recover the billions of dollars the U.S. has spent on military aid to Ukraine, insisted that Washington would benefit from the arrangement. Zelensky, after further negotiations, has agreed to meet Trump at the White House to sign the deal.
Details of the minerals deal remain sparse, but Zelensky indicated it would lay the foundation for broader agreements. Further discussions are expected to address the nature of U.S. security guarantees for Ukraine and the financial specifics of the deal.
Though Trump has dismissed any commitment to security guarantees, France and Britain have offered to send peacekeepers should a resolution to the war be reached, contingent on U.S. involvement, including intelligence and potential air support.
Trump noted that progress toward a deal with Russia is being made, but also cautioned that an agreement may either come soon or not at all.
U.S. and Russian officials met in Istanbul on Thursday for a fresh round of talks. Trump and Putin have agreed to meet personally, but no date has been set.
AFP
