US House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has changed his attitude towards the minerals agreement and expressed his readiness to sign it.
Points of attention
- Ukrainian President Zelensky expresses willingness to sign a mineral agreement with the United States, crucial for Ukraine's defense capabilities.
- US House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson praises Zelensky's decision, emphasizing the importance of the agreement in protecting Ukraine against potential Kremlin aggression.
- Controversy surrounds the agreement, with critics accusing Washington of blackmail and ousting Zelensky from talks between Putin and Trump.
Zelenskyy ready to sign minerals deal — Johnson
The politician said this on John Katzimatidis' radio show "Katz Roundtable" on WABC 770 AM.
I'm very grateful and happy that Zelensky has taken a step forward in the last few days. He actually apologized for all of this. And he said, "Oh no, no, we would like to make this deal anyway." I think he woke up unexpectedly.
Mike Johnson
Speaker of the US House of Representatives
According to previous plans, the agreement, which, according to former President Donald Trump, would allow the US to partially compensate for financial aid to Ukraine, was supposed to be signed during Zelensky's visit to the White House on February 28, but this never happened.
The United States has since suspended assistance and intelligence sharing with Ukraine.
"I think a lot of people in his country were upset with the way it was done. Of course, we were all upset, but we have to bring him back to the negotiating table," the speaker added.
As noted in the publication, supporters of the agreement argue that it will provide Washington with a strong argument for protecting Ukraine from potential future aggression from the Kremlin.
Critics of the bilateral agreement argue that it amounts to Washington blackmailing Kyiv, as well as ousting Zelensky from the talks between Putin and Trump.
