Reuters news agency reports that the Donald Trump administration and Ukraine are set to sign a minerals deal that fell through last week after a fiery exchange in the Oval Office between the U.S. President and Volodymyr Zelensky.
Trump has told his advisers that he wants to announce the deal during his speech to Congress on Tuesday night, three sources said. However, they cautioned that the agreement has not yet been signed and that the situation remains fluid.
The signing of the minerals deal was canceled on Friday following a tense Oval Office meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which resulted in Zelensky’s abrupt departure from the White House. The Ukrainian leader had traveled to Washington specifically for the signing.
Despite Friday’s tensions, U.S. officials have continued discussions with their Ukrainian counterparts in recent days to finalize the deal. According to one source familiar with the matter, U.S. officials have urged Zelensky’s advisers to convince him to offer a public apology to Trump.
On Tuesday, Zelensky posted on X that Ukraine remains ready to sign the agreement, describing the Oval Office meeting as “unfortunate.”
“Our meeting in Washington, at the White House on Friday, did not go as it should have,” Zelensky wrote. “Ukraine is ready to sit at the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring peace closer.”
