Very large deal with Ukraine: Reuters on why Trump is so interested in minerals.

Trump and Zelensky will meet to sign a mineral agreement

US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will hold a meeting at the White House to sign an agreement regarding minerals. This is reported by Reuters.

The agreement, according to the report, does not provide direct security guarantees for Ukraine from the US, but could be an important step in strengthening bilateral relations after tensions between the leaders.

President Trump refers to the agreement as a 'very large' mineral deal that could help garner support for Ukraine from Republicans in Congress. It will also reduce the US dependence on Chinese manufacturers of rare earth metals needed for electric vehicles, weapons, and electronics.

Michael McCaul, a representative of the Republican Party, believes that the agreement will make it easier for Republicans to vote for aid to Ukraine, and will also bring profit to American companies and Ukraine from the extraction of its resources. He calls the agreement a 'joint economic alliance', within which the US will assist Ukraine in developing the extraction of critical minerals.

It is worth noting that at the beginning of the week there were many sharp statements between Trump and Zelensky, but the next day Trump stated that he feels 'great respect' for Zelensky.

Changes are also occurring in diplomatic relations between the US and Russia. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, Washington has officially approved the appointment of Alexander Darchiev as the new ambassador of Russia to the US, indicating an improvement in relations between the two countries.