The US says it has not yet agreed on a mineral deal with Ukraine. Zelenskyʼs visit is in question

The US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the US has not yet agreed to a mineral agreement with Ukraine. Moreover, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky previously said that a framework agreement on minerals has already been agreed.

Marco Rubio said this on Fox News.

"I canʼt confirm that. Obviously, our Treasury Secretary [Scott] Bessent is working on it. Heʼs done a tremendous job on the deal. So, my latest reading is that itʼs getting close to the finish line," Rubio said of the deal.

Because the deal has not yet been agreed, the White House doubts Zelenskyʼs imminent visit to Washington, Reuters writes, citing an unnamed official in the Administration of President Donald Trump.

According to the official, Zelenskyʼs latest comments from Kyiv indicate that the deal has not yet been finalized.

“If the Ukrainian leader says the deal is not done, I don’t see the point in inviting him [to the US]. His arrival is supposed to mean acknowledging the final position [on the minerals deal], and he, by his own admission, doesn’t have that final position yet,” the source told Reuters.

What preceded

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on February 26 that Ukraine and the United States had reached a framework agreement on minerals. It does not have to be ratified by the Ukrainian parliament. Next, Ukraine and the United States will continue to work on a detailed agreement, which will then be signed by both parties and ratified by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. Here is the full text of the framework agreement, which was published by Ukrainian media.

The day before, the US President Donald Trump said that Zelensky could arrive at the White House as early as February 28. But Trump did not specify whether Zelensky had received an official invitation.

Zelensky said he "really wants" to visit the United States:

"We were offered a visit. But I want to know what format and when, the offices are working on it. There is a working date. What the US president said about Friday [February 28]," Zelensky said.

What kind of agreement on Ukrainian minerals?

The US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent brought a pilot draft of a minerals agreement to Ukraine on February 12. Washington had hoped that Kyiv would sign it immediately. President Zelensky said that he had banned the agreement because it would not protect Ukraine’s interests — it had no connection to investments, profits, or security guarantees.

Previously, Trump stated that Ukraine had "essentially agreed" to transfer half a trillion dollars worth of rare earth metals to Washington as payment for American military aid.

Ukraine said it was ready to sign an agreement on rare earth metals, but Kyiv needed security guarantees. Zelensky added: “The document was clear in only one thing — we must give 50% of everything that is listed there.”

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