“We have a minerals deal, which I guess is going to be signed on Thursday,” Trump told reporters at the White House earlier.
He has pushed for a compact that gives the United States privileged access to Ukraine’s natural resources and critical minerals in what he casts as repayment for military aid provided under former President Joe Biden.
“We’re still working on the details,” said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, seated beside Trump in the Oval Office, adding that the signing could come by next Friday.
“It’s substantially what we’d agreed on previously,” he said. “When the president was here, we had a memorandum of understanding. We went straight to the big deal, and I think it’s an 80-page agreement, and that’s what we’ll be signing.”
The White House did not respond to a request for further details on the timing and contents of the agreement.
Zelenskyy had said both sides could sign the memorandum online.
“This is a memorandum of intent. And we have positive, constructive intentions,” he told reporters in Kyiv, adding that the US side had made the offer to sign the memorandum before the comprehensive deal, which would require ratification by Ukraine’s parliament.
Earlier, Svyrydenko said the memorandum was the first stage to record the significant progress made by Kyiv and Washington in discussing the agreement.
