Volodymyr Zelenskyy to meet Donald Trump in Washington DC on Friday amid negotiations on mineral deal
Washington DC/IBNS: Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet Donald Trump in Washington DC on Friday, the US President confirmed on Friday.
"President Zelensky is going to be coming on Friday, that is now confirmed," Trump said during his first cabinet meeting on Wednesday.
The meeting comes as negotiations are underway on a deal to give the United States access to Ukrainian mineral resources.
Last week, Trump called Zelenskyy a "dictator", deepening the personal rift that will have major implications for the effort to end the conflict triggered by Russia's invasion three years ago.
The United States had provided funding and arms to Ukraine but, in an abrupt policy shift since Trump assumed office, he has opened talks with Moscow.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said: "Think of it, a modestly successful comedian, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, talked the United States of America into spending $350 Billion Dollars, to go into a War that couldn’t be won, that never had to start, but a War that he, without the U.S. and “TRUMP,” will never be able to settle."
"A Dictator without Elections, Zelenskyy better move fast or he is not going to have a Country left," Trump wrote of the Ukrainian leader, whose five-year term expired last year.
Zelenskyy in turn accused Trump of succumbing to Russian "disinformation," including Trump blaming Kyiv for having "started" the war and echoing Kremlin questions over Zelenskyy's legitimacy.
Ukrainian law does not require elections during wartime.
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