Zelenskyy meets with Trump: First details

Contents

• Meeting with Trump and main statements
• Expectations from the meeting
• Criticism from Trump
• Meeting could have been canceled

Meeting with Trump and main statements

The US President welcomed the President of Ukraine at the entrance to the White House. So far, no statements have been made by either leader.

Before meeting with Trump, the President of Ukraine held negotiations with a bipartisan Senate delegation. He also met with the President of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and the Samaritan’s Purse organization, Franklin Graham.

• Trump: The minerals agreement is a "big commitment by the US"

Donald Trump confirmed that a "fair" agreement with Ukraine on mineral extraction would be signed today. "This is a big commitment by the US," he added.

President Zelenskyy expressed hope that this would be a step forward for Ukraine.

• Zelenskyy: It's important to say that Putin started the war

"You said 'enough of the war,' but I think it's important to say that Putin started the war. He is a killer and a terrorist, but I hope that together we can stop him. It is important for us to save the country, and there can be no compromises with a killer," said the President of Ukraine.

Zelensky also stated that the US has the best air defense system in the world and that Ukraine needs protective measures.

• Trump: When a peace agreement is reached, the war will end

According to him, Russia will not want to return to war, and no one else will either. He also added that Ukraine will have to make compromises, but only because agreements cannot be reached without them. However, he emphasized that these compromises "won't be as big as some people think."

• Zelenskyy: Minerals agreement is not enough, guarantees are needed

The President of Ukraine stated that the minerals agreement is not enough because Russian soldiers will fear attacking only if "we are strong." If Ukraine is not strong enough, and if supply depots are empty, it will not be able to defend itself.

Zelenskyy also called on the US to provide guarantees to Britain and France for the deployment of peacekeepers. In response, Trump said that security guarantees are not being discussed at this time.

• Trump: I hope I will be remembered as a peacemaker

Trump wants to "save lives" and hopes to be remembered as a peacemaker. When asked if he is a mediator, he essentially confirmed it. "I am for both Ukraine and Russia," he said, adding that he wants the war to end.

When asked whether there would be a meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy, Trump replied: "They don’t like each other."

Expectations from the meeting

The presidents last met in September 2024, when Trump was still a US presidential candidate.

This is the first meeting between the two leaders since Trump took office. Zelenskyy emphasized the importance of meeting the US President before Trump’s possible negotiations with Vladimir Putin, which ultimately took place. Zelenskyy called this "a good signal."

Before the meeting, both leaders shared their expectations and plans for the negotiations. Trump stated that he anticipated Zelenskyy’s visit for the signing of a "very big deal," while the Ukrainian leader emphasized that this was only a preliminary agreement, with the next one being more serious and complex.

Zelenskyy shared his expectations for the meeting with Trump, stating that he wanted to discuss not only the agreement with the US but also key issues such as continued US support for Ukraine and prospects for cooperation between the two countries.

According to Zelenskyy, he wanted to hear whether Kyiv could count on future support from Washington and hoped to receive more specifics about the US position and possible joint steps to end the war.

"I will ask very directly whether the United States will stop supporting us, whether we will be able to buy weapons if they are not provided as aid, whether we can buy weapons directly from the United States. The third question is whether we can work with frozen assets, for example, to buy weapons and invest in many things, such as minerals, to rebuild Ukraine," Zelenskyy said.

Regarding US-Russia negotiations that are taking place without Kyiv’s involvement, Zelenskyy wants to stress that any decisions about Ukraine cannot be made without its participation.

Criticism from Trump

However, this meeting was preceded by a series of sharp statements from Trump about Zelenskyy. The US leader made these remarks after Kyiv refused to acknowledge a "debt" to Washington for already delivered aid.

It is worth noting that the initial US agreement proposals included 100% ownership of an investment fund and a total sum of $500 billion.

Following this, Trump called Zelenskyy a "dictator." Furthermore, the US President hinted that Ukraine needed to hold elections, claiming that the Ukrainian leader had only a "4% approval rating."

After Zelenskyy responded by saying that Trump was living in a Russian "disinformation space," the US leader once again criticized the Ukrainian President.

However, just before the meeting with Zelenskyy, Trump’s rhetoric softened significantly. This shift came after Kyiv and Washington managed to agree on the terms of the framework agreement on minerals.

Trump even praised his counterpart, stating that he "can't believe" he had called the Ukrainian president a "dictator."

Meeting could have been canceled

There were even reports that the meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump could have been canceled. The French news channel BFMTV, citing a French diplomatic source, reported that the White House had sent a message to the Ukrainian president requesting that he not come to Washington for the meeting.

However, French President Emmanuel Macron persuaded Trump to meet with Zelenskyy.

"Volodymyr Zelenskyy called Emmanuel Macron, who then contacted Donald Trump, asking him to receive his counterpart and personally vouching for him. In the end, Donald Trump agreed, announcing on Wednesday that he would host the Ukrainian leader at the White House," the media outlet reported.

Following the meeting between the two presidents, a formal signing ceremony for the framework agreement on minerals between Ukraine and the US will take place.

The document provides for the establishment of a joint Reconstruction Investment Fund, co-managed by Ukraine and the US.

Ukraine commits to contributing 50% of the revenues from the future monetization of state-owned natural resources, including oil and gas, to the fund. The funds from the investment will be reinvested into projects within Ukraine.

After the agreement is signed, both countries are expected to begin work on implementing the treaty’s provisions, particularly concerning the creation and operation of the Investment Fund.

The issues of specific security guarantees and further military support for Ukraine remain on the agenda for future negotiations between Kyiv and Washington.

More details about the agreement with the US and its significance can be found in an RBC-Ukraine article.