Ukraine eyes minerals deal amid Trump administration hurdles
According to CBS News, Ukrainian officials are informing Americans that they are keen to sign a minerals agreement. Meanwhile, leading figures from the Trump administration are holding out for a "better" deal.
The minerals agreement, or at least its preliminary version, was meant to be signed at the White House on Friday. However, a disagreement arose between Donald Trump, J.D. Vance, and Volodymyr Zelensky, and the Ukrainian president was asked to leave.
The agreement did not go through then, but Ukrainians remain interested in signing it. During a speech in Congress, Donald Trump stated that he received an "important letter" from Volodymyr Zelensky, expressing a willingness to negotiate peace.
"Regarding the agreement on minerals and security, Ukraine is ready to sign it in any time and in any convenient format," Zelensky wrote. This quote was shared by Trump.
Ukrainians want to sign
According to CBS News, Ukrainian officials have indicated to their American counterparts that they are ready to sign a key agreement.
At present, Americans are taking a cautious approach to the matter. When asked by CBS whether the minerals agreement remains an option, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that it is not currently under consideration.
According to CBS News sources, the agreement's details may change, as President Donald Trump is waiting for a "better, broader" agreement.
The current version does not include security guarantees. However, Americans would have access to profits from the country's natural resources, and half of the funds would go to Ukraine's reconstruction fund.
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