US President Donald Trump confirmed today that his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky will visit the White House on Friday, February 28.
In his opening remarks at the first meeting of his cabinet, he confirmed the time of the meeting with Zelensky.
He said that he would "sign an agreement" with the Ukrainian president and that it was "a very big agreement."
He also said that "we are doing very well with Russia" and praised his team for doing "an incredible job" in that regard.
Trump suggested that the previous administration had put the United States in a "very bad position."
"However, we managed to reach an agreement in which we will get our money back and get a lot of money in the future," he said.
He also pointed out that American taxpayers should not foot the bill for Ukraine "more than Europeans pay."
The US president also said that a ceasefire deal was close, saying: "We will make a deal with Russia and Ukraine - so that people stop dying."
Trump called it "a very important thing and a great achievement" and told reporters that his team would keep him updated on progress.
He also said that the minerals deal is "a great deal for Ukraine as well, because they get our presence there, we will work there."
"We will be on the ground, and that will automatically ensure security, because no one will want to endanger our people while we are there," Trump said.
He made these comments in response to a reporter's question about the security guarantees he is prepared to offer as part of a minerals deal with Ukraine.
The agreement between Ukraine and the United States on mineral resources concerns the division of Ukrainian resources such as titanium, graphite, lithium, and rare earths in return for past American aid to Ukraine and possible future security guarantees.
The key condition for Ukraine remains ensuring security, as Zelensky seeks guarantees from the United States to prevent further Russian aggression.
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