Trump considered canceling Zelensky's visit, changed his mind after meeting Macron, TV channel reports
U.S. President Donald Trump considered canceling President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Washington but reversed the decision after speaking with French President Emmanuel Macron, the French TV network BFMTV reported on Feb. 27, citing a French diplomatic source.
Zelensky's visit to the U.S. is scheduled for Feb. 28.
According to the report, Kyiv received a message on Feb. 26 from Washington stating that Zelensky's visit and meeting with Trump would not take place.
This development follows weeks of pressure from Trump's administration on Ukraine to finalize a minerals deal.
Trump publicly attacked Zelensky on Feb. 19, calling him a "dictator without elections" and warning that he must "move fast, or he won't have a country left."
After Zelensky had talked to Macron, the French president allegedly intervened and convinced Trump to proceed with the meeting, BFMTV reported.
Macron visited the U.S. president in Washington on Feb. 24 to discuss Ukraine's postwar security options in the event of a peace deal with Russia.
The U.S. president announced on Feb. 26 that Zelensky would visit Washington on Feb. 28.
Zelensky's visit comes as Kyiv and Washington agreed to establish a fund to which Ukraine will contribute 50% of proceeds from the "future monetization" of state-owned mineral resources, including oil, gas, and logistics infrastructure.
While Zelensky initially rejected the agreement due to the absence of security guarantees, he later said discussions on guarantees would take place in future negotiations.
The finalized deal does not include specific security commitments from the U.S., though the agreement references Washington's support for Ukraine's efforts to obtain such guarantees.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
