The United States and Ukraine are close to finalizing an agreement that would grant the US access to valuable mineral rights in Ukraine, a move the Trump administration has been pursuing as compensation for continued military assistance in Kyiv's fight against Russia, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal. The deal, which could be finalized as early as Saturday, remains under negotiation, with key terms yet to be disclosed. Tensions arose earlier this week when Ukraine initially refused to sign the agreement, straining relations between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and raising concerns over a potential rift between Washington and Kyiv. However, in a nightly address on Friday, Zelenskyy suggested progress had been made, stating that both sides were working on a draft agreement. "This is an agreement that can strengthen our relations, and the key is to work out the details to ensure its effectiveness," Zelenskyy said. "I look forward to the outcome—a just result." US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent first presented the proposal to Zelenskyy during a visit to Kyiv last week, but Ukrainian officials declined to sign it at the time, citing the need for further review and security guarantees. They also noted they were given only a few hours to assess the document before it was formally introduced. "I think they want it. They feel good about it," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Friday when asked about the negotiations over the mineral rights deal. Zelenskyy's initial rejection of the proposal led to heightened tensions between the two leaders, with Trump referring to him as a "dictator" after the Ukrainian president suggested Trump was influenced by Russian disinformation. The situation shifted on Thursday when retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, Trump's Ukraine envoy, met with Zelenskyy in Kyiv. Zelenskyy later described the meeting as one that "restores hope" and instructed his team to work "swiftly and very sensibly" to move the negotiations forward. According to a source close to the Ukrainian government, Kellogg played a key role in bridging the gap and finalizing the deal's terms during his three-day visit. The dispute over the agreement has raised concerns among US allies that Trump may withdraw support from Ukraine, which has relied on American military and financial assistance for three years to resist Russia's war. Meanwhile, Trump is actively seeking to negotiate an end to the war. On Tuesday, senior US and Russian officials met in Saudi Arabia and agreed to establish teams to work on a potential settlement. — Agencies
