The U.S. and Ukraine are close to agreeing on a framework deal for critical minerals
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that a framework deal with the United States on Ukraine’s critical raw materials is nearing completion, though key details are still under negotiation.
President Trump said Zelenskyy will come to Washington on Friday to sign a minerals deal, although that has not been confirmed by Kyiv.
“That’s now confirmed, and we’re going to be signing an agreement, which will be a very big agreement,” Trump said at the start of a meeting with his cabinet.
“We’ve been able to make a deal where we’re going to get our money back and we’re going to get a lot of money in the future,” he said, adding that U.S. taxpayers “shouldn’t be footing the bill.”
Speaking to journalists at the Presidential Palace in Kyiv, Zelenskyy described the framework as a preliminary step toward a broader agreement. The discussions center on which raw materials Ukraine will supply to the U.S. and what security guarantees Ukraine might receive in return.
“The priority is not to lose the U.S. as a main guarantor of security for Ukraine,” Zelenskyy stated, emphasizing the importance of American support as the war started by Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 enters its fourth year.
President Trump has reportedly suggested that Ukraine should compensate the U.S. for past military aid, quoting a figure — $350 billion — significantly higher than the actual aid amount, which is about half that, according to academics who track aid to Ukraine from around the world. Zelenskyy, however, dismissed the idea of accepting such conditions.
Trump meets Zelenskyy during visit to Pope Francis’ funeral
The White House says it will release more details of the meeting, which it described as "a very productive discussion."
Photos: Pope Francis is laid to rest and mourned around the world
Pope Francis was honored with a funeral Mass Saturday morning in the Vatican City's St. Peter's Square. These are some of the images that captured the grief of those mourning him around the world.
Ten years after Freddie Gray’s death, his neighborhood looks for hope
There's still a lot of need in Baltimore's Sandtown-Winchester neighborhood, where Freddie Gray lived. People from the neighborhood work to meet it.
Why judges blocked the Trump admin’s school DEI crackdown
On Thursday, three federal judges in Maryland, New Hampshire and Washington, D.C., said Trump's anti-DEI efforts were on shaky legal ground.
Legendary civil rights attorney Fred Gray honored with statue in Alabama
Gray represented prominent civil rights leaders like King, Rosa Parks and John Lewis throughout the Civil Rights Movement in Alabama, allowing activists to intentionally leverage mass arrests and civil disobedience to push for equal rights.
Watch live: Crowds of mourners and dignitaries pay respects to Pope Francis
A day of remembrance, mourning and celebration as thousands gather in Rome to pay their respects and say farewell to Pope Francis.
