US, Ukraine plan to sign mineral deal on March 4, Reuters reports
The U.S. and Ukraine are preparing to sign a mineral deal on March 4, according to Reuters, citing sources familiar with the matter.
The sources indicated that U.S. President Donald Trump plans to announce the agreement during his upcoming address to Congress.
However, they cautioned that the situation remains fluid and could still change.
President Volodymyr Zelensky’s Feb. 28 visit to the White House was originally intended to finalize the long-debated agreement on jointly developing Ukraine’s mineral resources.
The meeting instead turned into a public clash, with Trump and U.S. Vice President JD Vance berating Zelensky. The Ukrainian president later left the White House without signing the deal.
Following the talks, Trump accused Zelensky of "disrespecting" the U.S. in the Oval Office and said the Ukrainian president "is not ready for peace."
Zelensky later called the fallout "regrettable" and reaffirmed Ukraine’s readiness to sign the mineral and security agreement "at any time and in any convenient format."
The report comes after Trump reportedly ordered an immediate halt to more than $1 billion in U.S. military aid to Ukraine on March 4.
Since the dispute, some Republican lawmakers have ramped up criticism of Zelensky, with some suggesting he may need to step aside.
Zelensky’s White House visit was preceded by weeks of tense negotiations as Ukraine rejected the initial two draft proposals, arguing they imposed one-sided obligations on Kyiv without any security commitments from Washington.
The final agreement is expected to establish a fund to which Ukraine will contribute 50% of the proceeds from the future monetization of state-owned mineral resources, including oil, gas, and logistics infrastructure.
Zelensky’s refusal to sign the initial draft, presented by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Kyiv on Feb. 12, prompted the U.S. President to lash out publicly.
Trump denounced Zelensky as a "dictator," falsely accusing him of refusing to hold elections and echoing Kremlin disinformation about his legitimacy.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
