Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday that security guarantees were crucial ahead of his meeting with President Donald Trump in Washington on Friday to discuss a mineral resources deal.
"Guarantees of peace and security are the key to preventing Russia from destroying the lives of other nations," Zelenskyy said in his evening video address, as he prepares for negotiations with Trump Friday.
Speaking to reporters, Zelenskyy confirmed that Ukrainian and U.S. officials were working to finalize a meeting with former President Donald Trump on Friday. After his U.S. trip, he said he would travel to Britain for talks with Prime Minister Keir Starmer and other European leaders over the weekend.
His remarks came just after Russian artillery strikes killed at least five people in eastern Ukraine, while a drone attack near Kyiv left two more dead, including a Ukrainian journalist.
The minerals deal, which has been a sticking point in negotiations, would grant the United States preferential access to Ukraine’s natural resources in exchange for U.S. support. Officials said late Tuesday that a preliminary agreement had been reached following protracted talks, but Zelenskyy cautioned that further discussions were needed.
“This is a start, this is a framework agreement,” he told reporters in Kyiv, adding that more work remained to define security guarantees and the financial terms of the accord.
“Guarantees of peace and security are the key to preventing Russia from destroying the lives of other nations,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address.
Meanwhile, Trump dismissed Ukraine’s hopes of joining NATO, telling reporters, “NATO—you can forget about it.”
