Trump meets Zelensky: Ukrainian President wins appointment in the Oval Office

Washington. It was just a week ago that Donald Trump called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a "dictator" who was doing a "terrible job." Now he wants to receive him in the White House on Friday. "That's certainly fine with me if he wants to," the US President said on Tuesday. He avoided any unfriendly words. Instead, he emphasized that it was "a very big deal."

The friendlier tone is no coincidence. According to American media reports, the Kiev government has agreed with US negotiators on the framework of a raw materials agreement that has always been at the center of Trump's interest . America's top business man had demanded revenues of 500 billion dollars from the sale of minerals in return for military aid already provided. When Zelensky refused to sign the document during a visit by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent last week, Trump became angry and fired off a barrage of abuse.

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Now Zelenskyj wants to sign in the Oval Office. The details of the agreement are not yet known. But there are some indications that the Ukrainian president has also shown considerable qualities as a "dealmaker". In addition, the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to Washington on Monday seems to have made an impression. According to media reports, the figure "500 billion dollars" is no longer included in the draft agreement. At the press conference in the Oval Office, Trump also no longer ruled out further US military aid until a peace agreement is reached. Last but not least, Zelenskyj will get a high-profile appointment on an equal footing with the US president, something he had long pushed for in vain.

The agreement apparently provides for the establishment of an investment fund with majority US ownership, into which 50 percent of the proceeds from raw material sales are to flow. A total of 20 types of minerals that America considers critical are believed to be found in the Ukrainian soil - including lithium, graphite, titanium, uranium and rare earths, which are used for practically everything from cell phones to military goods. However, the majority of these mineral resources are located near the current front or in Russian-occupied territory. Experts believe that mining under wartime conditions is hardly possible.

When asked what Ukraine would receive in return for the raw material revenues it had taken away, Trump replied on Tuesday: "350 billion dollars and a lot of military equipment." Without the support of the USA, he stressed, "the war would have been over in a short time." He therefore continues to see the deal as compensation for aid already provided. "Europe will be responsible" for later reconstruction aid, Trump said. He again claimed that the USA had provided 350 billion dollars, but Europe only 100 billion dollars.

These constantly repeated figures are not correct. According to official government statistics, US aid has totaled $174 billion since 2022. The EU delegation in Washington published a list according to which Europe has paid $145 billion and pledged another $54 billion by 2027.

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During his visit on Monday, French President Macron had already tried to set the figures straight. He also contradicted Trump's claim that the Europeans, unlike the USA, had granted their aid in the form of loans. In fact, two thirds of the volume is in the form of grants. Macron, who already knows Trump from his first term in office, was very clever at ensnaring the narcissistic US president and showering him with pleasantries, while formulating different positions almost in passing.

The main point of contention is the question of security guarantees for possible European peacekeepers after a ceasefire. When asked for any "advice" for Trump, the Frenchman first stressed with great gestures that he would "never" give the American president advice. He then added that he could only speak from his own experience with Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to him, talks are always good, but for a lasting peace, you need security. He referred to the Minsk ceasefire agreement of 2014, which Putin broke. The Europeans are prepared to send peacekeepers to Ukraine. But this is only possible with "backing from America."

Trump did not respond to this comment on Monday. A day later, he said there must be a form of peacekeeping that is "acceptable to all sides." Security guarantees are "in the process of negotiation."

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, whose country is also being discussed as a possible troop contributor, is also likely to ask questions about this point. But fundamentally, the Briton, who is expected in Washington on Thursday, wants to avoid a confrontation with Trump, according to a report in the Guardian. London sees itself as "a bridge builder between the USA and Europe," the paper reports.