US President Donald Trump has said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will likely visit the White House on February 28 to sign an agreement, The Guardian reports.
The agreement concerns the joint development of Ukrainian natural resources, including rare earth metals. These metals will help pay for US military aid to Ukraine to protect it from a Russian attack.
"I hear he's coming on Friday. Of course, I'm not against it if he wants to do it," Trump said. He said the agreement would bring Ukraine $350 billion in military equipment and the ability to continue the fight.
The agreement details have been discussed for several days during tense negotiations between the US and Ukraine. Zelensky previously claimed that the US pressured him to sign a $500 billion deal to "impose a debt on Ukraine for 10 generations." However, on Tuesday evening, media outlets, including the Financial Times, reported that the new terms were favorable to Ukraine and did not include onerous obligations. The agreement is based on creating a joint fund to develop Ukraine's mineral resources without the long-term security guarantees that Kyiv wanted.
