What do we know so far

On Friday, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky met with US President Trump in Washington to sign an agreement that would give the US access to its deposits of rare land minerals.

But after Zelensky left early after a fiery exchange with Trump and Vice President JD Vance, the White House announced that the deal had not been signed.

Zelensky said earlier that he hoped that the “previous” agreement with the US would lead to further transactions “but confirmed that there were no security guarantees in the United States yet It was agreed – what he pressed on.

Trump said the transaction would help us taxpayers to “return the money” for the help sent to Ukraine throughout the war, but stated that the responsibility for Kiev’s security should fall to Europe.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Ukraine Dennis Shmihal said Ukraine and the United States have completed the agreement. It was published on Friday morning.

The previous agreement stipulates that the “investment fund” will be created for the reconstruction of Ukraine.

Schmihal said Kyiv and Washington would manage the Foundation for “equal terms”.

According to the agreement, Ukraine will make 50% of future revenues from state mineral resources, oil and gas in the fund, and then the fund will invest “to promote the security, security and well -being of Ukraine.”

Meanwhile, the agreement states that the US government, according to the US law, “supports a long -term financial commitment to the development of stable and economically prosperous Ukraine.”

Zelensky recognized the fund but told the BBC on Wednesday that “it is too early to talk about money.”

The agreement states that the United States will have the maximum amount permitted in accordance with the US.

The unharusting about the conditions of minerals that are part of what appears to deepen the gap between Trump and Zelensky.

The President of the Ukrainian refused the initial request in the US for $ 500 billion (£ 395 billion) in mineral wealth, but media reports say this demand was dropped.

“The US administration has launched an agreement that disputed Ukraine’s sovereignty and then pushed the exploitation that goes bankrupt,” said Tymofiy Mylovanov, former Minister and Head of the Kiev School, BBC.

“Now they have moved to a reasonable joint property transaction and no direct claims to last assistance. This can actually benefit Ukraine.”

On Tuesday, Trump said the US gave Ukraine from $ 300 billion (237 billion pounds) and $ 350 billion ($ 276 billion), and that he wanted to “return that money” through the deal.

But the German analytical tank According to the Kiel Institute, the US has allocated $ 119 billion to help Ukraine.

Zelensky pushes for the transaction to include a solid security guarantee from the US.

But on Wednesday he said that such a guarantee was not done.

“I wanted to have a security sentence for Ukraine, and it is important that it is,” the Ukrainian leader explained.

Asked by the BBC question whether he will be ready to move away from the agreement if Trump does not offer the guarantees he wanted, Zelensky said, “I want to find NATO’s path or something.

“If we do not receive safety guarantees, we will not have a ceasefire, nothing will succeed, nothing.”

Despite this, the published agreement states that the United States supported “Ukraine’s efforts to get security guarantees to build lasting peace.”

He said that Ukraine would not sign the transaction until Zelensky and Trump “agree on security guarantees” and decide how to “link this previous agreement” with a US security guarantee.

On Wednesday, Trump said the US would not provide security guarantees “outside … a lot”, adding that the responsibility for it will come to Europe now.

But he added that the presence of US workers on Ukrainian land will provide “automatic security”.

The prospect of dealing with minerals was first proposed by Zelensky last year as a way to offer the US a material reason to continue supporting Ukraine.

On Tuesday, Trump said Ukraine would receive a “right to fight” in return for access to its minerals and suggested that the US would continue to supply equipment and ammunition “until we agree with Russia.”

The US president also said that Russia was open for the adoption of European peacekeepers in Ukraine, but Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the Kremlin would not consider it as an option.

Trump said they would sign a deal at a White House meeting on Friday.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Schmihal said the US and Ukraine have prepared the final version of the agreement, although the assistant Zelensky Mykhaylo Podolyak stated that only the frame should be signed.

But nothing was signed at all during a visit, which instead saw Trump and Zelensky descended into a hot exchange.

At one point, angry Trump said Zelensky is not grateful for the US support during the war and that he was “gambling with the Third World War.”

He said Zelensky should “make a deal or we came out”, adding, “You have no cards.”

Zelensky said that with Russian President Vladimir Putin there should be “no compromise”.

Soon – and much earlier than the schedule – the Ukrainian president was noticed as he was leaving the White House.

Then the White House announced that the deal was not agreed – and said that Trump had decided to give up the signing ceremony.

The US president wrote on his social platform the truth that Zelensky “respected the United States in his cherished oval.” He added, “He can return when he is ready for peace.”

It is now unclear when the deal can be signed if at all.

Kyiv estimates that about 5% of the world “critical raw materials” are in Ukraine.

This includes about 19 million tons of tested graphite reserves, which, according to the state agency of the Ukrainian geological poll, makes the nation “one of five leading countries” for the supply of mineral. Graphite is used to make batteries for electric vehicles.

Ukraine also has significant titanium and lithium deposits. It states that it has a significant amount of world metals of rare land – a group of 17 elements used to obtain weapons, wind turbines, electronics and other products, vital in today’s world – but these claims are challenged.

Russia also seized some of the country’s mineral deposits. According to Julia Sviriden, the Minister of Economy of Ukraine, resources worth $ 350 billion (277 billion pounds) remain in the occupied territories.

There are also warnings that a transaction that allows the United States to access the huge mineral wealth of Ukraine cannot happen if the country does not solve its problem with uninfried mines.

A quarter of Ukraine is estimated at the mines, mainly concentrated in the destroyed war east of the country.

Another question is that it will take some time before anyone will see significant benefits from the transaction.

“These resources are not in the port or stock; they must be developed,” Milovanova says. “In this sense, when the US is investing, it will benefit everyone.”

Vladimir Putin has not yet addressed the reports that the terms between the US and Ukraine had been agreed.

But on Monday night, he told state television that he was ready to “offer” resources to US partners in joint projects, including mining on “new territories” in Russia – a reference to parts of eastern Ukraine, which Russia has been holding a full -scale invasion three years ago.

Putin said the potential transaction of the US-Ukrain on rare minerals is not concerned, and in Russia, “I undoubtedly I want to emphasize much more resources of this kind than Ukraine.”

“As for the new territories, this is the same. We are ready to attract foreign partners to the so-called new ones, to our historical territories that have returned to the Russian Federation,” he added.

Commenting on Zelensky’s visit to Washington, Kremlin’s press -secretary Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday: “Will it (sign) the above agreement or something, we will see. Official statements on this issue.”