US Treasury Secretary arrives in Ukraine to negotiate a rare minerals deal.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Wednesday that the minerals deal between Kyiv and Washington would provide Ukraine with a post-war “security shield,” and President Zelenskyy said he hoped to reach an agreement within days. Bessent said the minerals deal was part of a “larger peace deal that Trump has in mind”, adding that his first visit to Ukraine showed that the war was a top priority for the Trump administration.

Trump, who wants a rapid end to the war but has not made clear if he will continue vital military aid to Kyiv, has said he wants $500B in rare earth minerals from Ukraine and that Washington’s support needs to be “secured.”

Zelenskyy told reporters that the US had on Wednesday presented Ukraine with a first draft agreement, which Kyiv would now study, and that he hoped they could seal a deal at the February 14-16 Munich Security Conference.

“We had a productive, constructive conversation. For me, the issue of security guarantees for Ukraine is crucial, and we talked about minerals in general,” added President Zelenskyy.