On Friday, National Security Advisor to the White House, Mike Waltz, stated that he expects Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to soon sign a mineral agreement with the United States as part of efforts to end the war in Ukraine. His comments came as President Donald Trump claimed that Kyiv “has no cards to play.”
President Zelensky’s office reported that during a phone call on Friday, Ukrainian Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak discussed “alignment of positions” in bilateral relations with Waltz, following heated exchanges between President Trump and the Ukrainian leader.
President Trump stated on Wednesday that Zelensky is an “unelected dictator” and urged him to act swiftly to secure peace with Russia or risk losing his position. These comments further escalated tensions between the two leaders.
The sharp change in tone from the United States, a key supporter of Ukraine, has alarmed European officials and sparked fears that Kyiv may be forced into signing a peace deal that favors Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Zelensky responded by saying President Trump lives in a “bubble of disinformation” created by Russia, but later softened his statements and expressed hope for American pragmatism.
On Wednesday, Zelensky rejected the U.S. request for $500 billion in minerals from Ukraine to repay Washington for war aid. He said that, so far, the U.S. had not provided assistance at those levels and had not offered specific security guarantees for signing such an agreement.
In his conversation with National Security Advisor Waltz, Yermak “emphasized the importance of maintaining bilateral cooperation and a high level of relations between Ukraine and the United States,” according to Zelensky’s office.
Hours later, Waltz said at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, “President Zelensky will sign the agreement, and it will happen very soon.”
Waltz added on Thursday that Zelensky must return to the negotiation table.
When asked about Waltz’s recent comments, a source from the Ukrainian government said that both parties were “still in talks.”
“Ukraine Has No Cards to Play”
Speaking at a White House event on Friday, President Trump criticized Zelensky.
“I’ve had very good talks with Putin and not so good talks with Ukraine,” Trump said. “They (Ukraine) have no cards to play, but they’re playing hard,” he added.
The German government announced on Friday that Chancellor Olaf Scholz had a phone conversation with Zelensky and they agreed that Ukraine must have a seat at the upcoming peace talks.
However, Polish President Andrzej Duda urged Zelensky on Friday to remain calm and cooperate constructively with President Trump.
“I suggested to President Zelensky to stay committed to a calm and constructive cooperation with Donald Trump,” Duda wrote on the social media platform ‘X.’
“I have no doubt that President Trump is guided by a deep sense of responsibility for global stability and peace,” he added.
President Duda, whose term ends in 2025, was one of Trump’s favored international partners during his first administration (2017-2021), and they are said to be friends.
The Polish President is scheduled to meet with President Trump in Washington on Saturday, according to the Polish news agency PAP.
Zelensky said on Friday that he had discussed peace talks with the American delegation led by special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg.
“It’s important for the United States to stay with us. A strong and lasting peace can only be achieved through unity,” Zelensky wrote on the social media platform X.
