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President Trump said that Ukraine’s president may soon visit the White House to sign a deal, though how it ties in to efforts to end the Russian invasion and guarantee Ukraine’s security is unclear.
Feb. 24, 2025, 4:06 p.m. ET
Ukraine and the United States are closing in on an agreement that would grant Washington a share of Kyiv’s revenues from natural resources, President Trump and a Ukrainian government official said Monday, after an intense pressure campaign from the American president to strike a deal.
Mr. Trump said that President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine may come to the White House this week or next week to sign the agreement. “The agreement’s being worked on now. They’re very close to a final deal,” Mr. Trump said on Monday at the White House.
Earlier in the day, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister, Olha Stefanishyna, posted on X that “Ukrainian and U.S. teams are in the final stages of negotiations regarding the minerals agreement.”
A version of the agreement being discussed Monday, which was reviewed by The New York Times, contained more favorable terms to Ukraine than previous drafts but did not include security guarantees Ukraine had been requesting as it struggles to fight Russia’s invasion.
Four people, who have been briefed on the deal and spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss confidential negotiations, said those were the terms being discussed. Two of the people said the talks were still ongoing as of Monday evening. So the terms of the deal, which was not final, could still evolve.
The question of mineral wealth is tied up in conflicts over U.S. military and financial aid to Ukraine, and over how to end the war. Mr. Zelensky has said Ukraine must have Western arms and backing in any peace deal, to prevent a future Russian assault, while Mr. Trump has insisted the war must end quickly, without offering such security guarantees.
