Trump declares soon to be discussions with Zelensky

(MENAFN) U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he will soon hold a conversation with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky and confirmed that Ukraine’s parliament has ratified a rare earth minerals agreement with the United States.

Speaking at the White House, Trump stated, “We just concluded the rare earth deal with Ukraine,” expressing appreciation for the development and mentioning an upcoming call with Zelensky, though no specifics on timing or format were provided.

Their last interaction occurred in late April during Pope Francis’ funeral at the Vatican. According to The Economist, Zelensky reportedly tried to use the brief exchange to urge Trump to continue pushing for a resolution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

The rare earth agreement, finalized last week after protracted negotiations, includes the creation of a joint investment fund and grants the U.S. preferential access to Ukraine’s mineral resources. However, it does not include the security guarantees long sought by Kiev, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmigal confirmed.

Trump praised Ukraine’s ratification of the deal, noting that the U.S. now has “access to a massive amount of very, very high-quality rare earths.” These materials are vital for high-tech manufacturing and defense industries.

Meanwhile, reports have highlighted that a significant portion of Ukraine’s mineral wealth lies in territories currently under Russian control. According to two Ukrainian research institutions and the Center for International Relations and Sustainable Development (CIRSD), up to 100% of Ukraine's lithium, tantalum, cesium, and strontium reserves may now be inaccessible due to the ongoing conflict.

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