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Akbar Novruz

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky plans to travel to Washington on Friday to meet U.S. President Donald Trump after officials agreed to terms on a draft minerals deal, two sources with knowledge of the matter said on Tuesday, Azernews reports.

Apparently, in total, Ukraine’s underground resources are valued at an impressive $18 trillion. Beyond rare earths, the country is among the world’s top 10 producers of titanium, zirconium, graphite, and manganese, minerals that are indispensable for industries ranging from aerospace to defense and renewable energy.

The White House declined comment.

The minerals deal is central to Kyiv's push to win U.S. support as Trump seeks to rapidly end the war with Russia. Trump and Zelensky exchanged hostile words last week.

Trump called Zelensky an unpopular "dictator" who needed to cut a quick peace deal or lose his country, while the Ukrainian leader said the U.S. president was living in a "disinformation bubble".

One of the sources, who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, told Reuters the White House had proposed the visit.

Washington and Kiev are reportedly close to reaching an agreement. Although this issue has been a source of intrigue between the parties for a long time, they have finally broken the ice and established a framework for an agreement. However, Trump continues to advocate for stopping the war. In fact, he says that this war shouldn't have started in the first place, and he also added that Zelensky is one of the causes of it. What will be his reaction to the US request during this visit? What will the Ukrainian President demand from the US in exchange for these mineral resources?

To get further information on the aforementioned minerals of Ukraine, you may visit the LINK.