Ukraine is "at least three weeks late" in signing a minerals deal with Washington, and peace talks with Ukraine and Russia are "going smoothly," U.S. President Donald Trump said on April 25.
The U.S. and Ukraine have signed a memorandum on a minerals deal that is yet to be finalized, Deputy Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko said on April 17. The memorandum states that technical discussions should be completed by April 26, with the goal of signing the agreement shortly thereafter.
"Hopefully," the minerals deal will be "signed immediately," Trump said, directly mentioning President Volodymyr Zelensky in his statement.
"Ukraine, headed by Volodymyr Zelensky, has not signed the final papers on the very important rare earths deal with the United States. It is at least three weeks late," Trump said, despite the memorandum signed between the two countries stating a deal could be signed following April 26.
"Work on the overall peace deal between Russia and Ukraine is going smoothly. Success seems to be in the future!" Trump said.
The U.S. president has increased pressure on Ukraine as the White House intensifies efforts to reach a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia.
Trump has in recent days suggested the U.S. could de jure recognize Russian control of Crimea, among other major concessions Ukraine has not agreed to, such as barring Ukraine from gaining NATO membership.
Earlier on April 25, Trump reiterated that he believes Ukraine's desire to join NATO triggered Russia's full-scale invasion, adding that Crimea "will stay with Russia."
The minerals agreement has been in the works for several months and has been a point of contention between Ukraine and the U.S.
Zelensky and Trump got into a heated argument in the White House on Feb. 28 when the deal was set to be signed by the two leaders.
Trump wants to use the deal as a signal that the U.S. stands with Ukraine as an economic partner, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in an interview released on April 4, adding that it would incentivize Russia to negotiate an end to its war against Ukraine.
"The sequencing has been thrown off, but I think we can fix it," Bessent said, referring to the steps the U.S. plans to take in establishing a peace plan.
Asami Terajima
(Updated: )
