After significantly softening his tone in his comments about the Ukrainian president, Donald Trump received Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House today, Agence France-Presse reports, BTA reports.
Zelensky has already arrived in the US capital, and his meeting with Trump will take place at 16:00 GMT (11:00 Eastern US time).
Trump, known for his frequent reversals, called Zelensky "a dictator without elections" about 10 days ago. However, yesterday he downplayed those comments, asking: "Is that what I said?" in response to a journalistic question. "I can't believe I said that. "Next question," he added, emphasizing that he has great respect for his Ukrainian counterpart.
The change in tone from Trump, who as a former entrepreneur adopts a deal-making approach, is related to the agreement that will be signed during the visit. It concerns US access to minerals in Ukraine, as part of a framework agreement that is considered compensation for the military and financial assistance provided to Ukraine by the US over the past three years.
Trump said that the US would "dig, dig, dig" regarding future cooperation under the agreement.
However, the agreement does not fully meet the initial requirements of the US president, who insisted on access to resources worth $500 billion. This part was removed from the final version, which focused on the creation of an investment fund for metals, hydrocarbons and other resources.
The agreement does not include firm guarantees for Ukraine’s security, but it does emphasize that through joint investments in the country’s resources, the United States will remain committed to Ukraine’s security and stability.
Although Ukraine holds 5% of the world’s mineral resources, the resources Trump is interested in remain undeveloped and difficult to extract, some of them under Russian control in occupied territories.
The challenges for Zelensky’s visit to the United States, however, do not come only from the resources agreement. Ukraine and Europe are now watching with concern the rapprochement between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, following their phone call on February 12. Negotiations between them for peace in Ukraine continue, with Trump insisting on a quick end to the war.
Despite criticism from London and Paris, Trump said he had confidence in Putin and was confident that the Russian president would honor his commitments in the event of a ceasefire.
Trump also refused to hold Moscow responsible for the war and even questioned whether Ukraine was partly to blame. He categorically ruled out the possibility of Ukraine joining NATO, a key goal of Zelensky, and urged Kiev to forget about such a prospect.
However, yesterday Trump said that in the event of a peace agreement, Kiev could regain some of the territories. "We will try to regain as much as possible," he said. Trump also stressed that the Ukrainian military is fighting bravely, regardless of differences of opinion on this issue.