KYIV — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday that it is “a very good signal” that President Trump is meeting with him before Russian President Vladimir Putin — as the leader of the war-torn country prepares for a trip to Washington on Friday to sign a deal on mineral rights.
The agreement will grant the US 50% of revenue from Ukrainian critical and rare-earth mineral sales, Zelensky said at a press conference at the Ukrainian President’s office.
It won’t include security guarantees, however, the Ukrainian leader said he will press Trump on whether he intends to stop sending Ukraine military weapons to help fight off Russian invaders.
While the Friday deal establishing the terms can be signed between the two presidents, another agreement will be needed in the future to create a sovereign fund that the nations will split.
It would take roughly five to seven years to begin profiting off the resources, experts have told The Post, because a new geological survey is needed and both mines and resource-processing facilities will need to be built.
Zelensky also said the agreement will help repair the tense relations between Kyiv and Washington, adding that he was convinced to sign the deal once negotiators indicated it would not be made as debt repayment, as Trump has repeatedly suggested.
“I will not agree to even 10 cents [of debt],” he said. “It’s not about not being grateful [for Biden-era aid] — we are.”
“The main thing was that we don’t owe anything to be reimbursed.”
