Zelensky Seeks To Mend US Ties, Agrees To Sign Minerals Deal After Oval Office Clash With Trump

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has moved to mend strained relations with the United States following a heated exchange with President Donald Trump at the White House's Oval Office last week.

Zelensky stated that it was time to "make things right" and has now agreed to sign the minerals deal with the US, which had collapsed on Friday after the dispute between the Ukrainian leader and American officials.

Photo Credit: AP/PTI

"Regarding the agreement on minerals and security, Ukraine is ready to sign it in any time and in any convenient format. We see this agreement as a step toward greater security and solid security guarantees, and I truly hope it will work effectively," Zelensky wrote in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Uncertainty over the minerals deal

There has been no official confirmation of the agreement from the Trump administration. However, according to four anonymous sources cited by news agency Reuters, both nations are planning to sign the deal.

Three of the sources revealed that Trump had informed his advisers of his desire to announce the agreement during his address to Congress on Tuesday evening.

Nevertheless, they cautioned that the deal had yet to be finalised and that the situation remained fluid.

Yet, these reports were contradicted by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who reportedly told Fox News, "There is no signing planned." The news outlet's journalist Jacqui Heinrich relayed this statement in a post on X.

As a result, the fate of the deal- which entails military aid for Ukraine in exchange for its minerals-remains uncertain.

The White House, Ukraine's presidential administration in Kyiv, and the Ukrainian embassy in Washington have yet to respond to requests for comment, according to the Reuters report.

Zelensky's statement

Seeking to restore relations with the United States after his meeting with Trump and Vice President JD Vance ended in an argument, Zelensky took to X on Tuesday, reaffirming Ukraine's commitment to peace.

After being accused by the US President and Vice President of lacking sufficient gratitude during their Oval Office meeting, Zelensky stressed that Ukraine recognises "how much America has done to help Ukraine maintain its sovereignty and independence."

He added, "And we remember the moment when things changed when President Trump provided Ukraine with Javelins. We are grateful for this."

Describing the tense encounter with American leaders as "regrettable," Zelensky stated, "It is time to make things right. We would like future cooperation and communication to be constructive."

He further emphasised that he and his team were prepared to collaborate with the Trump administration to achieve lasting peace in Ukraine.

Outlining what he described as a potential first step towards ending the war-provided Russia is willing to engage-he proposed, "The first stages could be the release of prisoners and truce in the sky-ban on missiles, long-ranged drones, bombs on energy and other civilian infrastructure-and truce in the sea immediately."

"Then we want to move very fast through all next stages and to work with the US to agree a strong final deal," Zelensky concluded.