Investing.com -- White House national security adviser Mike Waltz anticipates Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to sign a minerals agreement with the United States, as part of efforts to conclude the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. This expectation comes despite recent tensions between President Donald Trump and Zelenskiy, with Trump suggesting that Kyiv lacks bargaining power in the situation.
The Ukrainian president's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, held a discussion with Waltz on Friday, focusing on "aligning positions" in bilateral relations. This conversation followed a series of heated exchanges between Trump and Zelenskiy, with Trump labeling Zelenskiy as a "dictator" on Wednesday and urging him to hasten peace negotiations with Russia.
Zelenskiy initially responded by accusing Trump of being ensnared in a "disinformation bubble", but later softened his stance, expressing hope for American pragmatism. On Wednesday, Zelenskiy also dismissed U.S. demands for $500 billion in mineral wealth from Ukraine as repayment for wartime aid, arguing that the U.S. had not provided an equivalent amount and had not offered specific security guarantees in the agreement.
During their call, Yermak emphasized the significance of maintaining bilateral cooperation and a high level of relations between Ukraine and the United States, according to Zelenskiy's office. Waltz, speaking at the Conservative Political Action (WA:ACT) Conference, later asserted that Zelenskiy will sign the proposed deal.
In the meantime, Trump refrained from criticizing Russian President Vladimir Putin while expressing disapproval of Zelenskiy. "I've had very good talks with Putin, and I've had not such good talks with Ukraine," Trump said on Friday.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Zelenskiy agreed in a phone conversation on Friday that Ukraine must be included in future peace talks. Polish President Andrzej Duda also encouraged Zelenskiy to maintain calm and constructive cooperation with Trump, despite the U.S. president's criticism.
Zelenskiy disclosed on Friday that he had discussed the dialogue with the U.S. team, led by Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg (NYSE:K), in a call with Duda. "It is important that the United States stand with us. A strong and lasting peace can only be achieved through unity," Zelenskiy stated on a social media platform.
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