Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his willingness to work under Donald Trump and sign a deal on minerals and security, stressing that Ukraine is committed to peace and will take steps to achieve a ceasefire with Russia. He praised US aid and gratitude for the Javelins offered by Trump, acknowledging that the recent meeting with him at the White House did not go as expected, but called for normalization of relations.

Volodymyr Zelensky is already engaged in negotiations with the Trump administration on a deal on Ukraine’s rare earth minerals. The initial proposal called for the US to receive 50% of the country’s natural resource revenues in exchange for military support. Zelensky rejected the deal without security guarantees, while Trump has suggested that he might negotiate with Russia if Ukraine does not accept his terms.

“We are ready to work quickly to end the war, and the first stages could be the release of prisoners and a ceasefire in the sky – a ban on missiles, long-range drones, bombs on energy and other civilian infrastructure – and a ceasefire at sea immediately, if Russia does the same. Then we want to move very quickly through all the next stages and work with the US to agree on a strong final agreement,” Zelensky said in a post on the social network “X”.

Donald Trump is pursuing a clear and pragmatic strategy in relation to Ukraine, demanding that American aid come with concrete benefits for the US. The agreement on rare earth minerals is a smart approach that provides strategic resources for the US economy, while Ukraine receives further support for its defense. Trump is putting America’s interests first and is seeking a balance between aid and economic benefit for his country.