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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during the European leaders’ summit to discuss Ukraine, hosted by Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer, at Lancaster House, London, on March 2, 2025.
| Photo Credit: AP
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Ukraine is ready to sign a minerals deal with the United States, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told U.K. media on Sunday (March 2, 2025).
“The agreement that’s on the table will be signed if the parties are ready,” he told a late-night huddle with some U.K. media after a landmark summit in London.
Also Read | What they said: Trump, Zelenskyy and Vance’s heated argument in the Oval Office
The deal, which was supposed to be a step towards helping to end the conflict in Ukraine, fell through on Friday (February 28, 2025) after a televised Oval Office clash with U.S. President Donald Trump.
“It is our policy to continue what happened in the past, we’re constructive,” Mr. Zelenskyy said, quoted by the BBC.
Also Read | After fiery Trump-Zelensky spat, what next for Ukraine?
“If we agreed to sign the minerals deal, we’re ready to sign it.”
Mr. Zelenskyy had travelled to Washington for a full White House visit on Friday (February 28, 2025) to sign a U.S.-Ukrainian deal for the joint exploitation of Ukraine’s vast mineral resources, as part of a post-war recovery in a U.S.-brokered peace deal.
But in their Oval Office meeting, Mr. Trump berated Mr. Zelenskyy, telling him to be more “thankful” for U.S. support in the three-year war and that without U.S. assistance Ukraine would have been conquered by Russia.
Also Read | Trump’s Oval Office thrashing of Zelensky shows limits of Western allies’ ability to sway U.S. leader
“You’re either going to make a deal or we’re out,” Mr. Trump added. “And if we’re out, you’ll fight it out and I don’t think it’s going to be pretty.”
The U.S. leader had previously said the proposed minerals deal would be “very fair”.
The proposal was to give Washington financial benefits for helping Ukraine in a truce, even if Mr. Trump has repeatedly refused to commit any U.S. military force as a back-up to European troops who might act as peacekeepers.
Also Read | World reacts to Trump-Zelensky Oval Office clash
After the heated exchange, Mr. Zelenskyy drove off in his motorcade shortly after having been asked to leave, without holding a planned joint press conference. The resources deal was left unsigned, the White House said.
Ukraine’s allies rallied around Mr. Zelenskyy on Sunday (March 2, 2025) at a summit hosted by U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer who said many European leaders had pledged to spend more on security and assemble a coalition to defend any truce.
French President Emmanuel Macron, flying back from the London summit, said in a newspaper interview that France and Britain wanted to propose a partial one-month truce with Russia.
Published – March 03, 2025 05:41 am IST
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Ukraine ready to sign minerals deal with U.S.: Zelenskyy
