President Donald Trump teased a possible meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Monday, amid what he called his ‘serious discussions’ with Russian President Vladimir Putin — which could involve European peacekeeping troops — about ending the war between Russia and Ukraine.
The president, from the Oval Office Monday, hinted at a potential meeting with Zelenskyy to finalize an agreement for rights to access its natural resources in exchange for the United States’ billions of dollars in support for the country’s war against Russia.
‘In fact, he may come in this week or next week to sign the agreement, which would be nice, I’d love to meet him. Would meet at the Oval Office,’ Trump said. ‘The agreement is being worked on now.’
‘They are very close to a final deal,’ the president said.
The Trump administration is seeking to recoup the cost of aid sent to the war-torn country by gaining access to rare earth minerals like titanium, iron and uranium.
‘It’ll be a deal with rare earths and various other things. And, he would like to come. As I understand it, here, to sign it. And that would be great with me,’ Trump said. ‘I think they then have to get it approved by their council or whoever might approve it, but I’m sure that will happen.’
Trump said the deal is ‘very beneficial to their economy,’ while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent added it is ‘very close.’
‘One-yard line,’ Bessent said.
Trump’s comments come just after he posted on Truth Social that he was in ‘serious discussions’ with Putin about ending the Russia-Ukraine war.
The post came after French President Emmanuel Macron of France joined him in the Oval Office to speak to the G-7 Summit.
‘The meeting was convened by Governor Justin Trudeau of Canada, the current chair of the G7, to acknowledge the Third Anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine War—Which would have never started if I was president,’ Trump posted on his Truth Social.
‘Everyone expressed their goal of seeing the War end, and I emphasized the importance of the vital ‘Critical Minerals and Rare-Earths Deal’ between the United States and Ukraine, which we hope will be signed very soon!’ Trump continued, adding that the deal is an ‘economic partnership’ that would ‘ensure the American people recoup the tens of billions of dollars an military equipment sent to Ukraine, while also helping Ukraine’s economy grow as this brutal and savage war comes to an end.’
The president said, though, ‘at the same time,’ he was ‘in serious discussions with President Vladimir Putin of Russia concerning the ending of the War, and also major Economic Development transactions which will take place between the United States and Russia.’
‘Talks are proceeding very well!’ he added.
The president Monday also predicted that the Russia-Ukraine war could end within weeks.
‘I think the war could end soon,’ Trump told reporters.
Trump added on Monday that Putin would accept allowing European peacekeeping troops in Ukraine as part of a potential peace deal.
‘Yeah, he will accept that. I’ve asked him that question,’ Trump told reporters.
‘Look, if we do this deal, he’s not looking for more war. He doesn’t mind,’ Trump added.
When asked if a deal could be reached ‘within weeks,’ Trump said: ‘Yeah, I think so, right? Don’t you think so? I’d like to ask, have you, I think we could end it within weeks. If we’re smart.’
‘If we’re not smart, it’ll keep going and we’ll keep losing young, beautiful people that shouldn’t be dying. And we don’t want that,’ Trump said. ‘And remember what I said? This could escalate into a third world war, and we don’t want that either.’
Trump administration officials, including White House national security advisor Mike Waltz, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, met in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, recently with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and President Vladimir Putin’s foreign affairs advisor Yuri Ushakov to hash out ways to end the conflict.
Ukraine was absent from the negotiations in Saudi Arabia.
Ukraine’s lack of involvement sparked Zelenskyy to double down on the stance that his nation will not accept a peace deal unless it is a part of the negotiation process.
Zelenskyy told reporters Tuesday in Turkey that ‘nobody decides anything behind our back,’ after stressing in recent days that Kyiv will not agree to a peace negotiation without Ukraine’s input.
Trump recently amplified his rhetoric against Ukraine’s president, including arguing Zelenskyy was a poor negotiator and that he’s ‘sick of it.’
‘I’ve been watching this man for years now as his cities get demolished, as his people get killed, as his soldiers get decimated,’ Trump told Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade.
‘I’ve been watching him negotiate with no cards. He has no cards, and you get sick of it,’ he continued. ‘You just get sick of it, and I’ve had it.’
‘I get tired of listening to it,’ Trump said. ‘I’ve seen it enough, and then he complains that he’s not at a meeting that we’re having with Saudi Arabia trying to intermediate peace. Well, he’s been at meetings for three years with a… president who didn’t know what the hell he was doing. He’s been at the meetings for three years and nothing got done, so I don’t think he’s very important to be at meetings, to be honest with you. He’s been there for three years. He makes it very hard to make deals.’
Meanwhile, the president said Monday he would ‘certainly’ be willing to go to Moscow.
‘At the appropriate time, I would go to Moscow,’ Trump said.