Washington — Ukrainian officials have indicated to their U.S. counterparts they are willing to sign a key minerals agreement, days after the original plan to sign the deal at the White House imploded in an acrimonious Oval Office meeting between President Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Vice President JD Vance.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who has been one of the negotiators who spoke with Zelenskyy about the minerals agreement was asked by CBS News “Face the Nation” moderator Margaret Brennan Sunday whether the economic deal was still on the table.
“Not at present,” he responded.
Multiple sources said a deal is not finalized. And the parameters of the agreement could change because the president is now holding out for a “bigger, better deal,” said a person familiar with the talks, granted anonymity to speak frankly about the details of the back-and-forth.
Administration officials told CBS there was no plan Tuesday afternoon for Mr. Trump or his top advisers to sign a deal.
“Nobody wants peace more than Ukrainians,” Zelenskyy wrote in a lengthy post on social media Tuesday. “My team and I stand ready to work under President Trump’s strong leadership to get a peace that lasts.”
Roughly 20% of Ukrainian land — a vast swath of the eastern Donbas region plus Crimea — is now under Russian control. The occupied territory includes a significant portion of Ukraine’s mineral reserves, including rare earth elements used in defense, aerospace, technology and energy production.
Ukraine is believed to hold about 5% of the world’s total reserves of rare earth elements. The U.S., which covers about 12 times as much ground, is estimated to have only 1-2% of the world’s rare earths, by comparison.
Tucker Reals
contributed to this report.
