- Trump calls Zelensky “brave” and expresses “a lot of respect” ahead of their White House meeting.
- Zelensky seeks US security guarantees, while Trump remains noncommittal on enforcement.
- Ukraine to grant US access to rare earth minerals in a deal expected to be signed Friday.
U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed “a lot of respect” for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ahead of their scheduled meeting at the White House.
When asked whether he would apologise for previously calling Zelensky a “dictator,” Trump appeared to walk back the remark, stating, “Did I say that? I can’t believe I said that.” He also described the Ukrainian leader as “very brave.”
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Trump’s comments came after discussions with UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, focusing on efforts to end the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia. He predicted a “very good meeting” with Zelensky on Friday and noted that peace efforts were “moving along pretty rapidly.”
This week’s diplomatic meetings follow a major shift in U.S. policy, as the Trump administration recently became the first Western government to hold high-level talks with Moscow since Russia invaded Ukraine over three years ago. Trump’s approach has raised concerns among European allies, particularly after he appeared to blame Zelensky for prolonging the war.
“You’ve been there for three years,” Trump said last week. “You should have ended it… You should have never started it. You could have made a deal.”
However, on Thursday, following his meeting with Starmer, Trump struck a more conciliatory tone regarding Ukraine, telling reporters, “I think we’re going to have a very good meeting tomorrow morning. We’re going to get along really well.”
Zelensky is expected to use the meeting to push for security guarantees from Washington to reinforce any potential peace deal with Russia. When asked about this, Trump remained noncommittal, saying he was “open to many things” but preferred to broker an agreement between Ukraine and Russia first before determining enforcement measures.
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As part of his visit, Zelensky is expected to sign a deal granting the U.S. access to Ukraine’s rare earth mineral resources. Trump suggested that American mining operations in Ukraine could serve as a strategic deterrent against future Russian aggression.
“It’s a backstop, you could say,” he remarked. “I don’t think anybody’s going to play around if we’re there with a lot of workers and having to do with rare earths and other things which we need for our country.”
