Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukraine is ready to sign the minerals agreement negotiated by the Trump administration, just one day after his contentious meeting with President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance in the Oval Office.
Zelensky took to X (formerly Twitter) to confirm Ukraine’s willingness to proceed with the deal, calling it a “first step” but insisting that additional security guarantees are necessary.
“We are ready to sign the minerals agreement, and it will be the first step toward security guarantees. But it’s not enough, and we need more than just that. A ceasefire without security guarantees is dangerous for Ukraine. We’ve been fighting for three years, and the Ukrainian people need to know that America is on our side,” Zelensky wrote.
We are ready to sign the minerals agreement, and it will be the first step toward security guarantees. But it’s not enough, and we need more than just that. A ceasefire without security guarantees is dangerous for Ukraine. We’ve been fighting for 3 years, and Ukrainian people…
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 1, 2025
He further emphasized Ukraine’s desire for peace but made it clear that signing the minerals deal alone would not be sufficient.
“Ukraine wants peace, and this deal on minerals is just a first step toward security guarantees and getting closer to peace. Our situation is tough, but we can’t just stop fighting without assurances that Putin won’t return tomorrow,” he added.
We want peace. That’s why I came to the United States, and visited President Trump. The deal on minerals is just a first step toward security guarantees and getting closer to peace. Our situation is tough, but we can’t just stop fighting and not having guarantees that Putin will…
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 1, 2025
Zelensky’s statement comes one day after a tense meeting with Trump and Vance, during which both American leaders reportedly accused him of being ungrateful for the aid and support Ukraine has received from the United States.
Following the unexpectedly abrupt end to the meeting, Trump declined to hold a joint press conference with Zelensky, a stark contrast to previous visits by the Ukrainian leader. Instead, Zelensky was escorted out of the White House, and the scheduled diplomatic events—including the minerals deal signing—were put on hold.
In a subsequent Fox News interview, Zelensky was asked whether he believed he should apologize for how the meeting unfolded. He dismissed the notion, stating:
“I’m not sure that we did something bad. I think sometimes, some things we have to discuss out of the media, with all due respect.”
Despite the rocky diplomacy, Zelensky later took to social media to express gratitude toward the U.S. and its people.
“Thank you, America. Thank you for your support, thank you for this visit. Thank you POTUS, Congress, and the American people. Ukraine needs just and lasting peace, and we are working exactly for that,” he wrote.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.