Saturday, 19 April 2025

NEW: Zelensky says WH meeting was 'regrettable,' ready to sign mineral agreement in 'any convenient format'


"It is regrettable that it happened this way."

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that the meeting he attended with President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance in the Oval Office on Friday was "regrettable." Zelensky is now ready to sign the minerals agreement proposed by the US "in any convenient format," per his post on X.

Zelensky wrote, "Our meeting in Washington, at the White House on Friday, did not go the way it was supposed to be. It is regrettable that it happened this way. It is time to make things right. We would like future cooperation and communication to be constructive. 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."



Last week, Zelensky said that he wanted to sign the minerals agreement, but that he also wanted additional security guarantees after he was seen out of the White House. With the post on Tuesday, it signals that he is ready to work with Trump in the negotiations to end the war between Russia and Ukraine.

The post from Zelensky comes after Trump paused all military aid to Ukraine. The president said that the pause will keep going until Trump decides that "the Ukrainians show a commitment of good faith peace negotiations."

The mineral deal would see that the US would benefit economically from the mining of rare earth materials, and there would be American companies in Ukraine helping to mine the minerals. On Monday evening, JD Vance said that the door was still "open" for Zelensky to negotiate with the Trump administration as a step to make peace between Russia and Ukraine. 

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