United States and Ukraine are proceeding with a much-discussed minerals deal despite a contentious Oval Office meeting last Friday that resulted in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s sudden departure from the White House, the sources said.
President Donald Trump will reportedly make the announcement in his speech to Congress on Tuesday night, although it is unsigned and open to final-minute revisions, three sources reported. The White House, Ukraine’s presidential administration, and embassy in Washington have not yet offered immediate comment on the news.
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The deal was originally shelved after Friday’s contentious session, in which Trump and Vice President JD Vance supposedly berated Zelenskyy for asking for more aid rather than thanking America for assistance. The tense argument saw Zelenskyy immediately ejected from the White House.
“You’re playing with World War III,” Trump supposedly told Zelenskyy at the meeting.
In recent days, American officials have held talks with their Ukrainian counterparts to rescue the minerals deal. Washington has urged Zelenskyy’s advisers to convince him to make a public apology to Trump to ease tensions and proceed with the agreement, according to one source.
On Tuesday, Zelenskyy went to social media, writing that Ukraine is still keen on signing the deal while characterizing the Oval Office meeting as “regrettable.”
In spite of diplomatic tensions, the minerals deal is a priority for both countries, demonstrating Ukraine’s strategic value in resource exports and the United States’ interest in having a secure supply chain in the face of global competition.
