Ukrainian president set to sign mineral deal despite rift with Trump

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he is ready to sign a ‘mineral deal’ with the United States despite his public spat with Donald Trump during his recent visit to the US.

Zelenskyy, who met with European leaders on March 2, said that Kyiv was ready to accept the agreement which almost fell through after a verbal spat with the US President on March 1.

“It is our policy to continue despite what happened in the past. We are constructive. If we agreed to sign it, we were ready to sign it. And honestly, I believe that the United States is ready as well,” Zelenskyy told a group of reporters at London Stansted Airport via a translator.

“Perhaps there is a need in time to analyze certain things, but I just want the Ukrainian position to be heard. It was very important to me that the Ukrainian position is heard,” he added.

He expressed confidence that relations with Trump could be salvaged and that his administration would not stop assistance to Kyiv.

“I think our relations will continue. Because this is more than relations at a certain moment,” the Ukrainian President said.

“We must be open. Ukraine is not the biggest country in the world but everyone can see how it fights for its independence and freedom,” Zelenskyy said.

“We count on assistance from the United States without a doubt. I think stopping such assistance will only help Putin. And because of that, I think the United States and representatives of the civilized world, leaders of this world definitely won’t help Putin,” he added.

The Ukrainian President’s remarks come at the end of a 2-day visit to the United Kingdom, during which European leaders came together to support Ukraine and discussed a plan to bring an end to its war with Russia.

Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, following years of tensions that began with the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and Russian-backed separatist movements in eastern Ukraine.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said his country and France would form a ‘coalition of the willing’ to chart out a peace plan to present to Trump.

“We are at a crossroads in history today,” Starmer said, calling on his European counterparts to step up to a “once-in-a-generation moment” for the security of the continent.

“This is not a moment for more talk. It’s time to act. Time to step up and lead and to unite around a new plan for a just and enduring peace said Starmer.

The Trump administration’s ‘mineral deal’ which was part of a larger deal to end the war collapsed on March 1 during a televised meeting between Zelenskyy and the US president at the White House.

During the meeting, US Vice President JD Vance contented that diplomacy was needed on the Ukrainian President’s part after former US President Joe Biden’s approach had failed.

Zelenskyy challenged his stance following which the Ukrainian leader was rebuked by both Trump and Vance for not being grateful enough and overestimating his position.

After the heated exchange, Trump cancelled the rest of Zelenskyy’s visit, including a signing ceremony for the minerals deal, and said he could return when he was ready for peace.

Earlier, Zelenskyy had said he would step down if Ukraine was granted membership of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

“Then it means I have fulfilled my mission,” he said.