President Donald Trump shifted his stance on Friday, acknowledging that Russia had indeed invaded Ukraine and announcing that Kyiv would soon finalize a minerals agreement with the United States to help end the Ukraine war.
Earlier in the week, Trump had controversially claimed that Ukraine "should have never started" the war three years ago, sparking widespread criticism both domestically and internationally. During a Friday interview with Fox News Radio, Trump conceded that Russia, under President Vladimir Putin's orders, had invaded Ukraine. "Russia attacked, but they shouldn't have let him attack," Trump said, suggesting that Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and then-U.S. President Joe Biden could have prevented the invasion.
Trump also predicted that a minerals agreement between the U.S. and Ukraine would be reached soon. "We're signing an agreement, hopefully in the next fairly short period of time," he told reporters in the Oval Office when asked about a potential minerals deal.
Separately, Zelenskiy mentioned on Friday that Ukrainian and U.S. teams were drafting an agreement, expressing his hope for a fair result in a video address following intense exchanges with Trump earlier in the week.
On Wednesday, Trump had labeled Zelenskiy a "dictator" and warned him to act quickly to secure peace with Russia or risk losing Ukraine. The shift in the United States' tone, as Ukraine's key ally, has alarmed European officials and raised concerns that Kyiv might be pressured into a peace deal favorable to Putin.
Zelenskiy initially accused Trump of being influenced by misinformation but later moderated his remarks, expressing hope for American pragmatism.
Zelenskiy also rejected U.S. demands for $500 billion in Ukrainian mineral wealth to repay wartime aid, pointing out that the U.S. had not provided that amount and had not offered specific security guarantees. Ukraine possesses valuable mineral deposits, including uranium, lithium, cobalt, rare earths, and more, which are crucial for various technological applications.
At a White House event on Friday, Trump criticized Zelenskiy while refraining from negative comments about Putin. "I've had very good talks with Putin, and I've had not such good talks with Ukraine," Trump said, noting that Ukraine had little leverage but was "playing tough."
Additionally, the U.S. proposed a United Nations resolution on Friday to mark the third anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The draft, seen by Reuters, mourns the loss of life during the "Russia-Ukraine conflict" and calls for a swift end to hostilities. Meanwhile, Kyiv and its European allies are pushing for their own resolution at the UN General Assembly on Monday, calling for de-escalation and a peaceful resolution.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Zelenskiy agreed during a phone call that Ukraine must be included in peace talks. Polish President Andrzej Duda urged Zelenskiy to maintain calm and constructive cooperation with Trump. Duda, whose term ends this year, had been one of Trump's favored international partners during his presidency. The Polish state news agency PAP reported that Duda is set to meet Trump in Washington on Saturday.