President Donald Trump reversed the course on Friday, saying Russia actually invaded Ukraine, and that Kiev would soon sign a mineral agreement with the United States as part of his efforts to end the Ukrainian war.
“Ukraine should have started the war three years ago,” Trump said on Tuesday, spurring a wave of criticism both domestically and internationally. He pressed the subject in an interview with Fox News Radio on Friday, and admitted that Russia had invaded Ukraine on orders from Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Russia attacked, but they shouldn’t have made him attack,” Trump said.
Trump then predicted he would soon reach the minerals agreement.
“We’ll sign the contract in the next fairly short period,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office when asked about possible deals with Ukraine minerals.
Zelenskyy said on Friday individually that Ukrainians and US teams are working on the draft agreement. “I… hope for a fair outcome,” he said this week at a video address after a sharp exchange between the two leaders.
Trump denounced Zelensky as a “dictator” on Wednesday, in order to ensure peace with Russia, which invaded Ukraine nearly three years ago, or to risk losing his country to ensure peace with Russia He warned that he must move quickly.
The tone change from Ukraine’s most important supporter, the United States, surprised European officials and surprised fears that Kiev could be forced into a peace deal in support of Putin.
Zelensky said Trump was trapped in a “bubbly of disinformation,” but later tightened his statement, saying he wanted American pragmatism.
Zelenskiy on Wednesday rejected a $500 billion mineral wealth request from Ukraine to help the US repay Washington with wartime aid.
Ukraine has valuable deposits of strategic minerals that the United States wants. These include uranium, lithium, cobalt, rare earths, and are used in applications such as batteries, technology, and aerospace.
Speaking at a White House event Friday, Trump was critical of Zelensky, refusing to comment negatively about Putin.
“I’ve had a very good talk with Putin, but I haven’t had that good talk with Ukraine,” Trump said. “They don’t have cards, but they play tough.”
Separately, the United States proposed a UN resolution on Friday to commemorate the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The three-paragraph US draft seen in Reuters lamented the loss of life during the “Russia-Ukurein conflict” and “pleads for a quick end to the conflict.”
Kyiv and its European allies hope to adopt their textbooks at the UN General Assembly on Monday. This calls for abdication, early halt of hostilities and peaceful resolution of conflict.
The German government said on Friday that Prime Minister Olaf Scholz and Zelenkiy had agreed over a phone call that Ukraine must have seats at the peace negotiation table.
Meanwhile, Polish President Andrze Duda urged Zelensky to maintain a calm and constructive cooperation with Trump.
His term in office this year was one of Trump’s favorite international partners during his presidency between 2017 and 2021, and they described themselves as friends.
The Polish president is scheduled to meet Trump in Washington on Saturday, the Polish provincial news agency PAP reported.
