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Zelensky, Trump may meet in Washington next week

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Zelensky, Trump may meet in Washington next week
President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump during a meeting in New York, United States, on Sept. 27, 2024. (Alex Kent/Getty Images)

Editor's Note: The story was updated with comments by President Volodymyr Zelensky.

President Volodymyr Zelensky may meet with his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump next week in Washington, Trump said on Feb. 7.

"I will probably be meeting with President Zelensky next week, and I will probably be talking to President (Vladimir) Putin. I'd like to see the war end," said the American leader during a press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.

Trump vowed to bring Kyiv and Moscow to the negotiating table and swiftly end the full-scale war that nears its third anniversary.

He also said he wants to meet with Putin "very quickly" after his inauguration. The Kremlin welcomed Trump's comments but added that no preparations were currently underway for the meeting.

Trump and Zelensky are discussing Ukraine's underground rare earths and "other things," according to the U.S. president.

Previously, Trump said that Washington was seeking Ukrainian rare earths in exchange for aid. Kyiv is open to mining with its partners, Zelensky said.

It’s unclear exactly what Trump meant by "rare earths and other things." Ukraine is home to 20 of the world’s critical minerals and metals, like titanium, used in the aerospace and defense industries, and lithium, an essential component of electric vehicle batteries.

"We want security. Because as you know, Europe is putting up much less than us (the U.S.)," Trump said.

The meeting between Zelensky and Trump can take place as the U.S. prepares to present a long-awaited plan to end Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine.

Keith Kellogg, the U.S. special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, said that the plan will be introduced by Trump, but did not specify a timeline.

After Trump's statement, Zelensky said that Ukraine "always appreciates" cooperation with the U.S. president, without specifying whether he plans to meet with him next week.

"We are also planning meetings and negotiations at the team level. Ukrainian and American teams are already working out the details," Zelensky added.

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Kateryna Denisova

News Editor

Kateryna Denisova works as a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a news editor at the NV media outlet for four years, covering mainly Ukrainian and international politics. Kateryna holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv. She also was a fellow at journalism schools in the Czech Republic and Germany.

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