Zelensky Ready to Sign Mineral Agreement with US Despite Tensions with Trump

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed his readiness to sign a mineral cooperation agreement with the United States, despite recent tensions with US President Donald Trump. Zelensky stated that the deal would be finalized once both parties were prepared.

"Ukraine is ready to sign a mineral agreement with the United States," Zelensky told AFP on Monday (March 3, 2025).

His statement came after attending a European leaders' meeting in London, UK, on Sunday (March 2). He emphasized that the Ukraine-US mineral agreement remained on the negotiation table and would be signed when the time was right.

"The agreement will be signed once all parties are ready," he stated.

The mineral deal was initially intended to be the highlight of Zelensky's meeting with Trump in the Oval Office on Friday (Feb 28). However, the discussion quickly escalated into a heated exchange between the two leaders.

"It is our policy to continue what has happened in the past; we remain constructive," Zelensky told the BBC.

"If we agree to sign the mineral deal, we are ready to do so," he added.

Zelensky had traveled to Washington for a full diplomatic visit to the White House, aiming to sign a US-Ukraine agreement on the joint exploitation of Ukraine's vast mineral resources. The deal was seen as a crucial step in Ukraine’s post-war recovery, brokered by the US.

However, the meeting took an unexpected turn when Trump harshly criticized Zelensky, urging him to be more "grateful" for US support during Ukraine’s three-year conflict with Russia.

"You either make the deal, or we walk away," Trump warned. "And if we leave, you will fight, and I don’t think that will end well."

Following the heated argument, Zelensky left the White House in his motorcade shortly after being asked to leave, without holding the planned joint press conference. As a result, the US-Ukraine mineral agreement remained unsigned.

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