President Trump welcomed Ukrainian President Vonami Zelensky to the White House on Friday to seal an agreement to hand over rare mineral rights to the United States, despite the New American administration pursuing another contract to end the Russian war with Ukraine.
A few days after Zelensky mistakenly claimed he was “starting” the war and calling him a “dictator,” Trump greeted the Ukrainian leaders at the west wing doors sandwiched between us and the Ukrainian flag. The two men waved politely, but there was no obvious warmth.
The White House expressed its desire to salute Zelensky with a colour guard upon arrival, smoothing out recent tensions. The two leaders will meet and talk with reporters in their oval offices and hold a signature ceremony and press conference scheduled for 1pm
Despite Trump's claims last week, it was Russia that first attacked Ukraine in 2014 and carried out a full-scale invasion in 2022. People facing international arrest warrants for fraud and war crimes.
Trump set aside the rift with Zelensky on Thursday before a meeting at the White House and brushed off questions about whether he views Ukrainian leaders as dictators.
“Did I say that?” Trump asked. “I can't believe I said that. Next question.”
At a later press conference with British Prime Minister Kiel Starmer, Trump did not answer questions about whether he owed apologies for calling him a dictator. “We're going to have a very good meeting,” he said. “I have a lot of respect for him.”
His sharp language of Zelensky last week was in stark contrast to Putin's reviews he praised since winning the second term. Just this week, the president called Putin a “very smart guy” and a “very unning man.” He believes Putin really wants peace, and said Thursday he added that if a deal is reached despite multiple past violations of Russian agreements, “he will follow his words.”
While he talks to Putin on the phone, he has little sense of how Trump expects to negotiate either a ceasefire or a permanent peace deal. During last year's campaign, he promised to end the war within 24 hours, and even before he took office.
During a press conference with Starmer on Thursday, Trump expressed a fatal mix of optimism and a fatal mix of his potential to create peace. “I think it's going to happen if it goes well,” he said. “If it doesn't happen soon, it might not happen at all.”
Hoshi and other European leaders offered to donate their troops to Ukraine's earthly multinational peacekeeping forces after the battle ceased. But Trump resisted the pressure to provide security guarantees to Ukraine in support of the US military, even without ground forces, or against an updated Russian invasion.
Since taking office, Trump has called for Ukraine to hand over some of its natural resources as a recapture of military aid provided under President Joseph R. Biden Jr. to protect Russia. Trump falsely claims that the US has donated $350 billion and Europe has only provided $100 billion, but in reality, Europe has been allocated $138 billion compared to $119 billion from the US, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy.
Under the draft rare mineral agreement reviewed by the New York Times, Ukraine will contribute half of its revenue from future monetization of natural resources, including key minerals, oil and gas. Trump on Thursday characterized the transaction as a boon of economic development. “That's good for both countries,” he said.
