TRUMP TO MEET ZELENSKY AT WHITE HOUSE TO DISCUSS PEACE DEAL & MINERALS

[JeremyVickers]

To complete a major deal pertaining to Ukrainian rare-earth minerals President Donald Trump will visit Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House. United States is a key player in talks to settle the conflict and this meeting takes place amid persistent tensions between Russia and Ukraine. A key component of these talks with Trump is the minerals agreement, which aims to provide the United States access to Ukraine's mineral riches in exchange for the significant aid that Ukraine has received since the beginning of the Russian invasion.

The U.S-Ukraine agreement calls for the cooperative development of natural resources of Ukraine such as oil, gas and rare earths. Zelensky first rejected a previous version of the agreement because it did not provide Ukraine with robust security guarantees. Following changes, Ukraine did, however, agree to contribute 50% of future profits from its state-owned mineral resources to a U.S.-led joint investment fund., Although it lacks specific security guarantees or pledges for American military shipments this agreement is meant to encourage further support for Ukraine.

Trump has been eager to portray this agreement as a means for United States to recover its investment in Ukraine which he says is worth more than $350 billion despite the fact that official statistics are much lower, Trump called Zelensky a "dictator" in the past, but both presidents have voiced confidence about their meeting and the possibility of a fruitful working relationship. But European officials have voiced fears that any agreement that benefits Russia could jeopardize security of Ukraine and sovereignty including French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Additionally, the Trump-Zelensky discussion touches on the ongoing peace negotiations between the United States and Russia which have come under fire for failing to include Ukraine. Strong security assurances for Ukraine that protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity must be a part of any peace deal Zelensky has underlined. Although the future is still unclear and controversial Trump attempts to mediate a settlement have been interpreted as an effort to change Ukraine course and maybe terminate the conflict.