Trump’s team confident they can end Russo-Ukrainian war next week, The Hill says
Pravda Ukraine
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt has stated that US President Donald Trump is confident he can reach a deal with Moscow to end the Russo-Ukrainian war as early as next week.
Source: US newspaper The Hill
Details: Speaking to reporters after returning from the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), Leavitt said that Trump and his team are actively working on peace talks.
Quote from Leavitt: “The president, his team are very much focused on continuing negotiations with both sides of this war to end the conflict and the president is very confident we can get it done this week.”
Details: Her comments came after Donald Trump claimed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “has no cards” and should stop negotiating with international leaders for a peaceful settlement.
Leavitt noted that National Security Adviser Mike Waltz would be working around the clock on the deal over the weekend. She also said that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had been involved in discussions with Ukrainian officials regarding the proposed agreement on natural resource extraction.
Quote from Leavitt: “When it comes to the critical minerals, this is an important piece for the president. It’s very important for the president, because it will recoup American tax dollars. And it also will be a great economic partnership between the United States of America and for the Ukrainian people as well as they rebuild their country following this brutal war.”
Background:
- On 22 February, US President Donald Trump stated during a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference that the United States was close to finalising an agreement with Ukraine on rare earth resources. He also emphasised the need to recover billions of dollars in military aid that Washington has provided to Ukraine.
- A draft agreement dated 7 February 2025, obtained by the British newspaper the Telegraph, outlines the Trump administration’s proposed terms for a minerals deal with Ukraine. The terms resemble those typically imposed on defeated aggressor states and reportedly exceed the reparations imposed on Germany and Japan after World War II.
- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy refused to sign the document since the agreement did not have clear security guarantees for Ukraine from the United States.
- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Trump was upset over Kyiv’s supposed lack of gratitude for US assistance and refusal to sign the agreement on Ukrainian minerals.
- The text of the agreement between the US and Ukraine, updated as of the evening of 21 February and obtained by Ekonomichna Pravda, stipulates the establishment of a commercial fund under complete US control, to which Ukraine will allocate funds.
Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!