President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Thursday that Ukraine plans to work "swiftly and very sensibly" towards an agreement that would grant the United States access to its natural resources. This move appears to be an effort to ease tensions that had arisen with President Trump regarding the deal.
Kyiv is focused on enhancing its negotiating stance as the United States and Russia commence talks aimed at ending the ongoing war—potentially without Ukraine's direct involvement. In a diplomatic flurry on Thursday and Friday, President Zelensky engaged with several leaders across Europe and Canada to secure additional support.
Despite these efforts, President Trump mentioned in a radio interview on Friday that he did not consider President Zelensky's presence necessary in the talks aimed at resolving the conflict. Speaking to Brian Kilmeade, the Fox News host, Trump stated, "I don’t think he’s very important to be at meetings to be honest with you, he’s been there for three years," and noted his observations of Zelensky "negotiating with no cards."
Trump further expressed his frustration, saying, "And you get sick of it. You just get sick of it. And I’ve had it."
Direct talks between Kyiv and Moscow occurred early in the invasion but have since April 2022 been limited to negotiations over prisoner of war exchanges and the return of Ukrainian children from Russia.
The concept of trading natural resources for U.S. assistance was initially proposed by Ukraine. However, President Zelensky hesitated when the U.S. suggested a proposal that involved Kyiv providing access to profits from 50% of the country's minerals and energy resources. Additionally, Zelensky objected to the lack of American security commitments in the deal.
