Trump says he will meet Zelensky to sign Ukraine minerals deal

WashingtonOn the third anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, French President Emmanuel Macron has landed in Washington as spokesman for a European Union in crisis due to its exclusion from negotiations on ending the war. Disoriented by Donald Trump's rapprochement with Moscow and with the threat of a trade war on the horizon, Europe is trying to move quickly so as not to lose ground on the new international stage that the United States is drawing up. Macron is meeting with Trump on Monday to ask him to give him a seat in Europe and not to close a ceasefire agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin so quickly.

Before starting the meeting, Trump spoke of meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky who "could come this week or the next to sign the agreement on minerals." The Republican is referring to the draft that US Secretary of State Scott Bessent presented in Ukraine on February 12 so that Ukrainian and US companies can exploit minerals critical to the technology industry for the benefit of the US.

Following threats from Trump, who accused Zelensky of being a "dictator", Kiev has become more receptive to closing the US deal on its rare earths. Zelensky initially refused to let Ukraine hand over $500 billion worth of mineral wealth as payment for Washington's military aid, saying the US had not provided anywhere near that amount so far and that the deal offered no concrete security guarantees. On Monday, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, Olga Stefanishyna, said Kiev was "in the final stages of negotiations on the minerals deal" with the US.

"Our main goal remains to end the war. Just as we are doing with Ukraine, we are exploring economic opportunities that could involve Russia, obtaining the resources we need while ensuring a lasting peace," the US president said.

On the idea of sending peacekeeping troops to Ukraine, which France and the United Kingdom have proposed, the American has stated that Russia would not oppose it. "Yes, it will accept it," he answered to the journalists, who asked him about this and Trump said: "I have asked him about this issue. Look, if we make this agreement, he is not interested in a World War." According to the president, European peacekeeping troops would be accepted once the truce is signed: "I don't think it will be a problem, once the 'peace' agreement is signed, Russia will go back to its business, and Ukraine and Europe will do the same."

In turn, Macron has insisted that "Europe is ready to take a step forward to be a stronger partner, to do more in defence and security on this continent, as well as to be a reliable partner." The French president also insisted to a very close Trump - at one point he allowed himself the confidence of putting his hand on his knee - that they share the common objective of ending the war: "Our common objective is to build peace, a solid and lasting peace" in Ukraine.

"I think that [Russia] will eventually sit at the table. Once the ceasefire is initiated, it will be difficult to go back to war. People have suffered enough," said Trump, who once again sold himself as having been content to see that Kyiv has practically no voice. to intervene. Biden was not talking to Putin, nor was he even communicating effectively with his own team. For three years, there was no dialogue."

Trump has also assured that NATO "can be fine" if it is done in the "right" way and has said that he would meet with Putin "in due time." When one of the journalists proposed a possible date for May 9, he said that it seemed "too soon."

Since the process to start negotiations to end the war began, Trump has not stopped making prior concessions to Putin. Washington already assumes that the Ukrainian borders prior to 2014 - when the invasion of Crimea - cannot be recovered, that Ukraine can enter NATO, and now, in addition, it is pressing for elections to be held, as Putin has been asking for some time. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said during the anniversary of the invasion that "we hope to end the war this year."

The Frenchman is the first European leader which Trump is receiving this week at the White House. Shortly after Macron, Prime Minister Keir Starmer is also expected to travel to the capital to give further force to European demands on the war. Britain, which has avoided criticising the new president, is watching with bewilderment the change of course of one of its main partners on the other side of the Atlantic. Last week, Trump criticized both leaders, who he believes have "done nothing" to resolve the war since it broke out in 2022. He also said again that he believed Zelensky's presence at the meetings was necessary and that he "has no cards" to negotiate with.

In the morning, Macron also took part in a joint call with the G7 leaders. "The call was perfect," said the French leader on leaving. Regarding the welcome from the American president, he said: "It was very good, very cordial, as always. We had the G7 video conference in the Oval Office and then we had a first conversation."

In recent days, Paris has become the centre from which Europe has coordinated a united response to the United States' disdain for not inviting it to the negotiations and its rapprochement with Russia.

Washington clamps down on kyiv

Ukraine is virtually helpless against the United States, which has so far been its main ally and provider of military and economic support in the conflict. Trump is increasing the pressure to end a conflict that he considers to be a hindrance to him, but above all to obtain an agreement with Kiev on rare earths.

The United States is taking advantage of a Europe that on its own is not capable of providing sufficient military support to Kiev and a Russia that wants to end a conflict that was supposed to be a lightning war, to pincer a powerless Ukraine and force it to give up a large part of its mineral resources.