The News
US President Donald Trump welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the White House Friday, ahead of critical talks about the future of US support in its war against Russia.
Zelenskyy was also expected to sign a deal granting Washington access to Kyiv’s mineral resources.
The agreement comes amid intense diplomatic maneuvering over the Ukraine war: American and Russian officials held talks in Istanbul this week, the UK will host European leaders this weekend, and Moscow’s defense chief is in Beijing.
Trump said that through the minerals deal “American taxpayers will now effectively be reimbursed” for providing military support to Ukraine, arguing it would also “help the Ukrainians rebuild.” It is only a few days since Trump called Zelenskyy a “dictator,” but asked Thursday whether that was still his position, he said “Did I say that? I can’t believe I said that.”
SIGNALS
Value of Ukraine’s minerals remains unclear
While both sides are expected to present the mineral deal as a win, it remains unclear whether the agreement will be as valuable as the Trump administration has hoped. While Trump has said the deal would be worth hundreds of billions of dollars, many experts have noted that Ukraine is unlikely to have the level of deposits that the Trump administration is expecting — and that refining critical minerals, not mining them, remains the key weakness in American supply chains. “If the estimated mineral deposits exist, very little research has examined if they are extractable at a reasonable cost,” one energy policy expert argued. “Even then, this does not consider the Russian conflict or depleted transportation and energy infrastructure.”
Trump and Zelenskyy have had a tense relationship for years
The two leaders have had a turbulent relationship for years, dating back to the US president’s first term. Then, Trump asked Zelenskyy to “do us a favour” and investigate Hunter Biden’s role at a Ukrainian gas company — which ultimately led to Trump’s first impeachment, as he tied the request to continued US military support. Zelenskyy has denied Trump pressured him, but the episode has complicated their relationship ever since. Trump has repeatedly lashed out at Zelenskyy in recent weeks, causing the Ukrainian leader to warn that the US president is exposed to disinformation. European officials have advised Zelenskyy to ignore Trump’s jibes and try to avoid taking them personally to maintain a working relationship, The Washington Post reported.