Mike Waltz insists Ukraine will sign mineral deal
The White House National Security Advisor addressed CPAC, outlining the administration's stance on recent disagreements with Volodymyr Zelensky.
National Security Adviser Mike Waltz
White House National Security Adviser Mike Waltz stated on Friday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will ultimately sign a deal granting the United States access to Ukraine's rare mineral reserves.
During a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Maryland, Waltz said that Donald Trump's leadership as a "presidency of peace" will bring an end to the war, which began with Russia's invasion of eastern Ukraine. He emphasized that the minerals deal is one of the necessary conditions for resolving the conflict in Ukraine.
Waltz took the opportunity to defend his Administration’s position, which has faced heavy criticism for not fully including Kyiv in negotiations with Russia over Ukraine’s future. In response, the Ukrainian government has voiced complaints and adopted a tougher stance toward the White House, which it sees as a victim of Russian disinformation.
Trump tries to corner Zelensky
"I've had very good talks with Putin, and I've had not such good talks with Ukraine. They don't have any cards, but they play it tough. But we're not going to let this continue," Trump told a meeting of governors at the White House.
Earlier, Trump downplayed the importance of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s presence in the negotiations, saying it was "not very important."
"He's been there for three years. He makes it very difficult to make deals," he added.
"President Trump's ready to stop the killing, stop the hundreds of thousands of people that are dying per year in Europe, the largest war in Europe since World War Two, and you see the same voices that are demanding a ceasefire in Gaza post October 7 ... oppose peace in Europe? It makes no sense," Waltz said.
Waltz's comments at CPAC come at a sensitive time for relations between Washington and Kyiv. On Tuesday, Marco Rubio met with a Russian delegation in Riyadh without inviting a Ukrainian representative. Nonetheless, Rubio emphasized that peace will only be achievable through an agreement acceptable to all parties involved.
Rubio's nuances were not enough for Zelensky to prioritize Ukraine's interests and cancel his visit to Riyadh, which was scheduled to occur after the U.S.-Russia meeting. The situation escalated further when Donald Trump referred to Zelensky as a "dictator" and provided misleading information regarding the Ukrainian president's approval rating, which is reported at 57% by pollsters, contrary to Trump’s claim of it being just 4%.
Saudi Arabia hosts Arab summit on Ukraine
Trump's idea for Gaza's future has faced widespread rejection in Arab countries; however, there is no consensus on who should govern Gaza or how to finance reconstruction after the war.
A source close to the Saudi government told AFP that the meeting took place and concluded early in the afternoon, but no final statement has been issued yet.
Saudi state television released footage of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman with the leaders of Egypt, Jordan, and other countries from the Gulf Cooperation Council, with the exception of Oman.
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