The U.S. and Ukraine are moving forward with plans to sign a minerals deal, despite a contentious Oval Office meeting last week that led to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s abrupt departure from the White House, according to sources familiar with the situation.
The deal, which had been put on hold following the meeting, is now back on the table after discussions between U.S. officials and Kyiv. President Donald Trump had initially intended to announce the agreement during his address to Congress on Tuesday evening, though the signing has not yet been finalized, sources cautioned.
The agreement, which grants the U.S. access to revenues from Ukraine’s natural resources, was nearly derailed after Trump and Vice President JD Vance criticized Zelenskiy during the meeting, accusing him of insufficient gratitude for U.S. support. “You’re gambling with World War Three,” Trump reportedly told the Ukrainian leader.
In the days following the meeting, U.S. officials urged Zelenskiy’s advisers to secure a public apology from the Ukrainian president to Trump. On Tuesday, Zelenskiy expressed regret over the incident in a post on X, stating, “Our meeting in Washington, at the White House on Friday, did not go the way it was supposed to be,” and reaffirming Ukraine’s readiness to sign the deal.
The proposed agreement includes no explicit security guarantees for Ukraine but stipulates that 50% of future revenues from state-owned natural resources will be contributed to a U.S.-Ukraine managed reconstruction investment fund.
Trump signaled his openness to the deal on Monday, emphasizing that Ukraine “should be more appreciative” of U.S. support. “We’ve given them much more than Europe, and Europe should have given more than us,” he told reporters.
The deal’s revival comes as France, Britain, and potentially other European countries have offered to send peacekeeping troops to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire, contingent on U.S. backing. Moscow has rejected such proposals.
Daniel Fried, a former U.S. ambassador to Poland, noted that the agreement would represent a significant win for Trump, securing both Zelenskiy’s statement of regret and European commitments to Ukraine’s security. “Trump can and should take the win,” Fried said, highlighting the potential for strengthened transatlantic cooperation.