Zelenskiy Says Working With Trump’s Team, Seeking Deal With US

(Bloomberg) -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said his team was working with US counterparts to coordinate with Donald Trump’s administration, after the US president suggested earlier Friday he’d be willing to meet.

In a post to Telegram, Zelenskiy said that he valued cooperation with Trump and that Ukrainian and American teams are working out details. Separately, Zelenskiy said in an interview that he was willing to make a deal to secure more US backing in exchange for some of Ukraine’s rare earths and other minerals.

“If we are talking about a deal, then let’s do a deal, we are only for it,” Zelenskiy told Reuters, adding that he was interested in cultivating a partnership with the US rather than giving resources away. The US and Ukraine have discussed storing US liquefied natural gas in underground Ukrainian gas storage sites, Zelenskiy added.

“The Americans helped the most, and therefore the Americans should earn the most,” he added.

Taken as a whole, Zelenskiy’s efforts indicated an eagerness to pounce after Trump told reporters Friday that he would be game to meet — even if the US president’s sincerity was unclear.

Trump, meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Friday, was asked by a reporter if he would help coordinate a meeting between Zelenskiy and US Vice President JD Vance, who is traveling to Europe for summits in Paris and Munich next week.

Trump seemed to mishear the question, and responded by saying that he himself “will probably be meeting with President Zelenskiy next week.”

“One of the things we’re looking at with President Zelenskiy is having the security of their assets,” he continued. “They have assets underground, rare earth and other things but primarily rare earth.”

When a reporter asked Trump to clarify if he was in fact the one planning to meet with Zelenskiy, the president responded: “He may — he may meet next week, yeah, whenever he’d like.” 

Trump then added that he was in Washington and not planning to travel to Europe.

“I’m here. It could be — well, I’m not going there,” Trump said.

During the presidential campaign, Trump said he would end the conflict between Ukraine and Russia on his first day in office by brokering a peace agreement between Zelenskiy and Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

Coupled with his stated skepticism of US aid for Ukraine and repeated suggestion that Ukraine should consider ceding land that was decimated in the conflict, many leaders across Europe were concerned that Trump could force Kyiv into major concessions.

Since taking office Trump has charted a more cautious approach, so far avoiding a direct conversation with Putin. On Friday, Trump said he would “probably be talking to” the Russian leader, without providing details on when such a discussion could take place or if a summit would take place in person or over the phone.

“It could be — it could be — we — we’ve always had a good relationship,” Trump said, without elaborating further.

©2025 Bloomberg L.P.