The president also suggested that any eventual peace agreement would require "some form of peacekeeping" in Ukraine but stressed that such a measure would have to be “acceptable to everyone”
Washington has reportedly abandoned its initial demand for $500 billion in potential revenue from Ukraine’s natural resources in exchange for continued support, but has yet to provide firm security guarantees—one of Kyiv’s key conditions, according to media reports.
US President Donald Trump confirmed on Tuesday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was expected to visit Washington this week to sign a deal, though he did not explicitly confirm whether an agreement had already been reached. Trump said that under the terms of the proposed deal, Ukraine would gain “the right to fight on.”
“They’re very brave,” he told reporters. “But without the United States and its money and its military equipment, this war would have been over in a very short period of time.”
When asked whether US military supplies and ammunition shipments to Ukraine would continue, Trump responded ambiguously, stating, “Maybe until we have a deal with Russia… We need to have a deal, otherwise it’s going to continue.”
The president also suggested that any eventual peace agreement would require “some form of peacekeeping” in Ukraine but stressed that such a measure would have to be “acceptable to everyone.”
Trump’s comments mark a stark departure from longstanding US foreign policy traditions. Since the Marshall Plan’s post-World War II reconstruction efforts, American foreign aid has often been framed as a means of promoting global stability and democracy.
However, Trump’s insistence that US financial assistance must yield direct economic returns for American taxpayers signals a shift in Washington’s approach.
“We want to get that money back,” Trump said on Tuesday, claiming that the US had provided Ukraine with between $300 billion and $350 billion in aid since Russia launched its full-scale invasion three years ago.
“We’re helping the country through a very, very big problem… but the American taxpayer now is going to get their money back plus.”
His administration’s push for mineral rights in exchange for aid has been a contentious issue. Zelensky previously rejected Washington’s initial demand for $500 billion in mineral wealth, saying, “I can’t sell our state.”
The Ukrainian leader also accused Trump of operating in a “disinformation space” created by Russia.
Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna told the Financial Times, which first reported the minerals deal, that the agreement was “only part of the picture.”
“We have heard multiple times from the US administration that it’s part of a bigger picture,” Stefanishyna said, indicating that negotiations were still ongoing and that the terms of US aid were not yet fully settled.
While Washington appears to have dropped its initial mineral wealth demands, the lack of clear security commitments leaves Ukraine vulnerable amid its ongoing war with Russia.
Analysts say Trump’s approach sets a precedent for future US foreign policy under his administration, with financial self-interest taking center stage over previous strategic or humanitarian concerns.
Ukraine may be the first test case of this new doctrine, but experts suggest similar conditions will be imposed on other US allies in the years to come.
This article was created using automation technology and was thoroughly edited and fact-checked by one of our editorial staff members
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