The United States and Ukraine are reportedly planning to sign the economic deal that was supposed to be signed last week before a meeting between the country’s two leaders blew up following a spat in the White House.
Reuters reported that President Donald Trump wants to have the deal signed before his address to Congress on Tuesday night so he can announce it at the event.
The report cautioned that plans may change between now and whenever the deal is signed.
The news comes after Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky released a statement earlier in the day in which he shifted his tone following the disastrous meeting with Oval Office last week which ended with Trump kicking him out.
“We are ready to work fast to end the war, and the first stages could be the release of prisoners and truce in the sky — ban on missiles, long-ranged drones, bombs on energy and other civilian infrastructure — and truce in the sea immediately, if Russia will do the same,” he wrote. “Then we want to move very fast through all next stages and to work with the US to agree a strong final deal.”
Zelensky also thanked the United States and Trump for providing support to his country.
“We do really value how much America has done to help Ukraine maintain its sovereignty and independence,” he said. “And we remember the moment when things changed when President Trump provided Ukraine with Javelins. We are grateful for this.”
Zelensky indicated that he regretted how the meeting in the Oval Office went on Friday, but stopped short of apologizing — something that Trump allies say the president wants to see him do publicly.
“Our meeting in Washington, at the White House on Friday, did not go the way it was supposed to be,” he wrote. “It is regrettable that it happened this way. It is time to make things right. We would like future cooperation and communication to be constructive.”
He also said in his statement that he was ready to sign the minerals and security deal between the two countries at “any time and in any convenient format.”
“We see this agreement as a step toward greater security and solid security guarantees, and I truly hope it will work effectively,” he added.
It’s not clear whether any terms of the deal have changed following the meeting last week.
