Foreign pool report #1 - Background on Zelenskyy's visit

Good morning,

I’m your foreign pooler for President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to the White House.

The Ukrainian President is scheduled to arrive at the South Portico at 11:00 AM. The leaders will hold a meeting in the Oval Office at 11:05 AM, followed by a working lunch at 11:35 AM and a joint press conference at 1:00 PM.

Zelenskyy arrived in Washington, DC yesterday. He is staying in a nearby hotel, where he met with U.S. Senators. Following his visit to the White House Zelenskyy will deliver remarks at the Hudson Institute at 4:00 PM and is expected to meet with Ukrainian community in the U.S. later this evening.

This marks President Zelenskyy’s fifth visit to the White House, with the previous four taking place during President Biden’s administration.

President Trump and President Zelenskyy are expected to sign a mineral resources deal. On February 26, Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers approved the decision to sign the agreement, as confirmed by Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. The signing will take place at the beginning of the press conference.

Before his trip to Washington Zelenskyy stressed that Ukraine needs to know first where the United States stands on its continued military support. “It is important for me and all of us in the world that America’s assistance is not stopped” – he said. Zelenskyy added that the mineral agreement may be part of future security guarantees, but he wants to understand the broader vision: what awaits Ukraine?

Zelenskyy’s visits to the White House:

September 1, 2021

December 21, 2022

September 22, 2023

December 11-12, 2023

Zelenskyy’s Engagements with Trump:

September 25, 2019: Zelenskyy met Trump at the UN General Assembly in New York, following the controversial "do us a favor" call that led to Trump’s first impeachment.

September 27, 2024: The two met amid tensions over Ukraine’s defense and the U.S. election. Trump told Fox News that they both wanted a "fair deal" to end the conflict.

December 7, 2024: In Paris, Zelenskyy, Trump, and President Macron discussed peace, security guarantees for Ukraine, and preventing future aggression.

February 12, 2025: Trump and Zelenskyy spoke by phone about ending Russian aggression, following Trump’s call with President Putin.

Additional Note: Former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko met with President Trump in the Oval Office in June 2017.

Rare Earth Mineral Deal:

The United States and Ukraine are set to sign a bilateral agreement to establish a Reconstruction Investment Fund, aimed at rebuilding Ukraine and ensuring long-term economic stability. The Fund will be jointly owned and managed. According to reports in Ukrainian and U.S. media, key provisions include:

Funding Sources: Ukraine will contribute 50% of future revenues from government-owned natural resources (oil, gas, minerals, infrastructure), while the U.S. will provide long-term financial support.

Investment Strategy: The Fund will finance reconstruction projects and attract further investments to develop Ukrainian assets, ensuring economic growth and security.

Next Steps: Working groups from the U.S. Treasury and Ukraine’s Finance and Economy Ministries will finalize the Fund Agreement, which will require ratification by Ukraine’s Parliament.

Note: The agreement does not include Trump’s initial demand for Ukraine to contribute $500 billion to the Fund and does not include specific U.S. security guarantees.

China’s Playbook:

The U.S. appears to be adopting a strategy similar to China’s, exemplified by the 2007 Sicomines agreement with Congo. In this deal, China secured mining rights to $93 billion worth of cobalt and copper in exchange for $3 billion in infrastructure investment. While the deal provided much-needed capital at the time, the Democratic Republic of the Congo later found itself dissatisfied and is now reevaluating the agreement to ensure greater national benefit. (Source: Assessing the Viability of a U.S.-Ukraine Minerals Deal )

Ukraine’s Rare Earth Minerals:

Experts from the Atlantic Council note that Ukraine holds significant reserves of titanium, graphite, and lithium—key resources for U.S. defense and high-tech industries. However, accessing these minerals depends on the war’s outcome, as many reserves are in eastern Ukraine, where fighting continues. There are also strategic challenges related to outdated mineral maps and refining infrastructure. Even after extraction, China’s dominance in mineral refining presents obstacles. The U.S. currently lacks the necessary refining infrastructure in Europe or North America, making it essential to build such facilities to prevent these minerals from flowing to Beijing.

(Source: Digging into the US-Ukraine minerals deal - Atlantic Council )

U.S. Assistance to Ukraine:

As of December 2024, the U.S. Congress has allocated $183 billion for the U.S. response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with $39.58 billion remaining available for obligation, according to the Special Inspector General’s report to Congress. Not all appropriated funds have been spent or sent to Ukraine, as nearly $50 billion has been used to support U.S. military operations in Europe and enhance NATO readiness.

As of December 2024, U.S. commitments to Ukraine exceed $100 billion, including:

$63 billion in security assistance

Over $30 billion in direct budget support

More than $4 billion in humanitarian aid

$5 billion in development assistance for Ukraine’s energy, agriculture, and other sectors

At the end of 2024, the United States disbursed a $20 billion loan to the World Bank for Ukraine as part of a $50 billion loan package, to be repaid with future proceeds from immobilized Russian sovereign assets.

Since February 2022, EU members and institutions, along with NATO allies (excluding the U.S.), have committed at least $194 billion in assistance to Ukraine, including support for Ukrainian refugees in Europe.

Marek WaBkuski

White House Correspondent for Polskie Radio

President of the White House Foreign Press Group

Phone: XXX-XXX-XXXX

X: @marekwalkuski