US expects mineral deal with Ukraine to be signed this week
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US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff says Ukraine has realised that the US has “done so much” for the country.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Feb 23 that they expected an agreement would be signed this week on US access to Ukraine’s critical mineral deposits.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wavered “in his commitment towards that a week ago”, Mr Witkoff said in a CNN State Of The Union interview, referring to the Ukrainian leader’s rejection of the original US proposal.
“The President (Trump) sent the message to him. He’s not wavering any more.”
Mr Zelensky realised “that we have done so much (for Ukraine)... and I think you’ll see it (the deal) signed this week”, continued Mr Witkoff.
Mr Zelensky had previously rejected US demands for US$500 billion (S$668 billion) in mineral wealth from Ukraine to repay Washington for wartime aid
“The deal will be signed,” Mr Bessent said in an interview on Fox News on Feb 23, adding that he was “hopeful” it will happen in the coming week.
The Ukrainian President’s chief of staff said on Feb 23 that the next round of negotiations with the US over a deal will continue.
Mr Trump has been pushing for a deal to end the war in Ukraine, and held separate calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Mr Zelensky earlier in February.
Mr Trump’s top officials recently met their Russian counterparts in Saudi Arabia in talks that did not include Ukraine.
The US President also called Mr Zelensky a dictator
Mr Trump has urged the presidents of Russia and Ukraine to work together on ending the war, which began when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Russia had annexed Crimea in 2014.
Mr Trump faced criticism domestically and internationally in the past week after he said Ukraine “should have never started” the war before reversing course and saying Russia did in fact invade Ukraine.
Mr Witkoff told CNN on Feb 23: “The war didn’t need to happen. It was provoked. It doesn’t necessarily mean it was provoked by the Russians. There were all kinds of conversations back then about Ukraine joining Nato. That didn’t need to happen. It basically became a threat to the Russians.” REUTERS
