U.S., Ukraine close to agreement on mineral deal - Report

The White House and Ukraine have made significant progress toward reaching an agreement that would provide the U.S. with access to Ukraine's rare earth minerals and tighten the long-term relationship between Kyiv and Washington, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The progress in talks comes after President Donald Trump and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy traded sharp rhetoric this week about their differences over the matter.

Zelenskyy said he balked at signing off on a deal that U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent pushed during a visit to Kyiv last week, and the Ukrainian leader objected again days later during a meeting in Munich with Vice President JD Vance because the American proposal did not include security guarantees.

Trump earlier Friday renewed his criticism of Zelenskyy's handling of the three-year war and accused the Ukrainians of wasting Bessent's time.

But the two sides made significant progress during a three-day visit to Ukraine this week by retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, Trump's special envoy to Ukraine and Russia, according to the person familiar with the ongoing negotiations who was not authorized to comment publicly.

While the Ukrainians were rattled by Trump, the still-not-completed agreement came into focus over three days of meetings in Ukraine between Kellogg and Zelenskyy and other top-ranking Ukrainian officials, the person said.

In addition to Zelenskyy, the talks included Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Rada speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk and others, the person said.

As Kellogg returned to Washington on Friday evening, Zelenskyy in his nightly address said the two sides were still working on a draft agreement. It was a notably optimistic tone after Trump earlier in the day in a Fox News Radio interview said Bessent's visit to Kyiv had been a “wasted trip.”

“Today, Ukrainian and U.S. teams are working on a draft agreement between our governments,” Zelenskyy said in his address. “This agreement can add value to our relations — what matters most is getting the details right to ensure it truly works. I look forward to a just result.”

Trump said he wanted such a deal earlier this month, and it was initially proposed last fall by Zelenskyy as part of his plan to strengthen Kyiv’s hand in future negotiations with Moscow.

Rare earth elements are a set of 17 elements that are essential to many kinds of consumer technology, including cellphones, hard drives and electric and hybrid vehicles.

Trump’s national security adviser also expressed confidence Friday that Zelenskyy would eventually accept a deal letting the U.S. access his country’s rare earth minerals.

Speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference, Mike Waltz said: “Here’s the bottom line. President Zelenskyy is going to sign that deal.”