President Donald Trump said Friday that a deal with Ukraine is nearly finalized to grant the United States access to the country’s rare earth minerals in exchange for continued U.S. military aid. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also expressed optimism, confirming that negotiators from both countries were working to finalize terms that would be fair to Kyiv.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office after swearing in Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Feb. 21, Trump said, “We’re signing an agreement hopefully in the next fairly short period of time,” adding, “I think we’re pretty close.”
Trump emphasized that the agreement—which “keeps us” in Ukraine—would ensure Washington recoups between $400 billion and $500 billion in aid to Kyiv. He noted that while European nations have contributed $100 billion to Ukraine, primarily through loans that will be repaid, Washington has provided $300 billion with no expectation of return….