Trump aides engage in backchannel talks with Zelensky
As CNN reports, Donald Trump's closest associates are unofficially speaking with Volodymyr Zelensky to reach an agreement between the US and Ukraine after Friday's political dispute in Washington, D.C. (UTC+0).
CNN, citing its two sources, reports that Trump's team considers it important to stabilise White House relations with Ukraine. They want to get talks back on "the right track" before Trump's speech in Congress.
Among those who contacted Zelensky is Gen. Keith Kellogg, who was Trump's envoy to Ukraine.
A White House official informed CNN that the minerals agreement has not yet been signed. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is to be directly involved in the negotiations of this deal.
At the same time, people in Trump's circle are confident that discussions on the matter are "heading in the right direction."
Trump is expected to address the issue of the war in Ukraine during his speech in Congress. According to Reuters reports, the US president is set to announce the conclusion of an agreement on minerals.
Dispute in the Oval Office
During a meeting in the Oval Office, there was a tense exchange of words between US President Donald Trump, his deputy J.D. Vance, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The meeting, which aimed to discuss cooperation in mineral extraction, ended in an unprecedented dispute.
After the meeting, allegations arose that the dispute was a planned "ambush" on Zelensky. Representatives of the Trump administration, including national security adviser Mike Waltz, deny this narrative, claiming that the meeting could be a positive moment for Ukraine. However, some politicians, like Senator Jack Reed, described the meeting as a "political ambush."
