The president of Ukraine, Volodimir Zelenski, left the White House on Friday without signing the expected rare mineral pact with the United States, after a tense dialectical confrontation with the US president, Donald Trump, in the Oval Office. The meeting, which was initially expected to culminate with the signing of a strategic agreement, ended in a climate of disagreement and without confirmations about the future of the pact.
Zelenski departed in his official caravan around 1:45 p.m. (local time), without holding the joint press conference that was scheduled for later. The White House has reported that the agreement on rare minerals, a key resource for the technology and defense industry, has not been signed after the exchange of words between both leaders.
The pact in question was aimed at Ukraine shared 50 % of the income derived from the exploitation of its natural resourcesa previous step for a possible peace agreement with Russia. However, the proposal had generated controversy in kyiv, where some sectors saw with suspicion the possibility of giving a significant part of the benefits of their strategic resources.
A tense encounter in the Oval Office
The meeting between Trump and Zelenski was marked by a constant tension tone. At one point, both leaders engaged in a heated discussion in front of the journalists present in the Oval Office. Trump, known for his direct style and sometimes confrontation, did not hesitate to express his discontent with the Ukrainian President.
“The United States of America has lacked respect in their beloved Oval Office. Can come back when you are ready for peace “Trump wrote on his truthsocial platform after the meeting. These statements reflect the tension climate surrounding the meeting and suggest that the differences between both leaders could have been insurmountable on this occasion.
Uncertain future for the agreement
Although the White House has not completely ruled out the possibility of reaching an agreement in the future, a senior American official said that any progress will depend on Ukraine being willing to maintain a “constructive conversation.” In addition, it leaves in the hands of the Ukrainian team the possibility of reprogramming the joint press conference that was canceled, as long as Zelenski remains in the United States.
For his part, Zelenski did not make statements to the press after leaving the White House, leaving in the air the questions about the future of the Mineral Pact. His early and commentary exit added a tone of uncertainty to bilateral relations between the two countries, which in recent years have been marked by ups and downs.
