Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has made a significant concession, offering to sign a U.S. minerals and security agreement “at any time and in any convenient format.” The shift comes just hours before President Donald Trump is set to deliver his State of the Union address, raising speculation about a potential breakthrough announcement ahead of Tuesday night’s speech.
In a social media statement early Tuesday, Zelenskyy adopted a noticeably different tone, signaling Ukraine’s openness to negotiations and expressing gratitude for Trump’s past support:
I would like to reiterate Ukraine’s commitment to peace.
None of us wants an endless war. Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer. Nobody wants peace more than Ukrainians. My team and I stand ready to work under President Trump’s strong leadership to get a peace that lasts.
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. Then we want to move very fast through all next stages and to work with the US to agree a strong final deal.
We do really value how much America has done to help Ukraine maintain its sovereignty and independence. And we remember the moment when things changed when President Trump provided Ukraine with Javelins. We are grateful for this.
Our meeting in Washington, at the White House on Friday, did not go the way it was supposed to be. 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.
Regarding the agreement on minerals and security, Ukraine is ready to sign it in 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.
With vast reserves of critical minerals like lithium, titanium, and graphite—key resources for the technology and defense industries—Ukraine is aiming to leverage these assets as part of its reconstruction efforts. The proposed deal would create a Reconstruction Investment Fund, with Ukraine pledging 50% of its future revenues from state-owned natural resources, including minerals, oil, and natural gas. The initiative is designed to attract international investment and strengthen Ukraine’s long-term economic stability.
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