US sees "significant progress" in talks with Ukraine, hopes to sign deal on minerals - Witkoff
Donald Trump's special representative for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, said that the United States expects "significant progress" in negotiations with Ukraine this week and hopes to sign an agreement on rare earth metals.
This was reported by Censor.NET with reference to Reuters.
American negotiators are to meet with the Ukrainian delegation on Tuesday, February 11, in Saudi Arabia.
"I think we're going there with the expectation that we're going to make significant progress," Witkoff said.
Asked if he thinks Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will return to the US to sign the mining agreement this week, Witkoff said: "I'm very hopeful. All the signs are very, very positive."
According to him, security protocols for Ukrainians and territorial issues will be among the important issues on the negotiating table.
Earlier it was reported that at a meeting in Saudi Arabia on March 11, the United States would insist that Ukraine comply with its commitments to a partial ceasefire with Russia.
Minerals deal with the US
As a reminder, Trump has said he wants to sign a $500 billion deal with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on access to rare earth resources and natural gas in Ukraine in exchange for security guarantees in any potential peace settlement.
President Zelenskyy said that the agreement with the US on minerals would be signed at the ministerial level when ready and subject to guarantees. Currently, this document is not ready to protect Ukraine's interest.
Later, Trump said that Ukraine had derailed the rare earth metals deal. The agreement was needed so that the United States could recover the money spent on supporting Ukraine.
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has handed over to Ukraine an "improved" draft of the minerals agreement that "complies with Ukrainian law."
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that if the United States wants to see specific numbers in the minerals agreement, then according to Ukrainian law, ratification by the Verkhovna Rada will be required.
On February 25, the Financial Times reports that Ukraine and the United States have agreed on the terms of the minerals agreement, and Kyiv is ready to sign the document.
On February 26, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the signing of the minerals agreement with the United States.
The agreement was supposed to be signed on February 28 at the White House, but due to a dispute between Trump and Zelenskyy, it did not happen.
