President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that the United States is set to sign a minerals and natural resources deal with Ukraine, as part of broader efforts to mediate a ceasefire in the ongoing war with Russia.
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President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the US will soon sign a minerals and natural resources deal with Ukraine, amid ongoing efforts to bring a ceasefire to its war with Russia.
He also said his efforts for a peace deal in Ukraine were going “pretty well”.
He made these remarks at the White House after signing an order to boost US production of critical minerals.
“We’re doing very well with regard to Ukraine and Russia. And one of the things we are doing is signing a deal very shortly with respect to rare earths with Ukraine,” Trump said.
”We would love to see that [war] come to an end, and I think we’re doing pretty well in that regard,” Trump said.
”So hopefully we’d save thousands of people a week from dying. That’s what it’s all about. They’re dying so unnecessarily, and I believe we’ll get it done.”
Trump also highlighted his separate talks this week with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, focused on ending Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Trump’s 30-day ceasefire proposal
Those talks, which fell short of Trump’s aim to secure a full 30-day ceasefire, resulted in Putin agreeing to stop Russian attacks on energy infrastructure for 30 days, while Zelenskiy said he would also accept such a pause.
Ukraine and the US recently agreed to finalise a deal soon to develop Ukraine’s critical mineral resources. Trump has termed this as a way for Ukraine to repay the US for its support.
However, efforts to complete the deal faced setbacks after a tense White House meeting between Trump and Zelenskiy last month.
‘Fantastic’ call after spat in Oval Office
On Wednesday, Trump and Zelenskiy agreed to work together to end Russia’s war with Ukraine. The White House called their one-hour phone call “fantastic.” It was their first conversation since a heated Oval Office public spat last month, after which the Trump administration halted US military aid and intelligence support to Kyiv.