Zelenskyy on mineral deal: Discussed with Trump in the Vatican

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that he discussed the mineral deal with his American counterpart Donald Trump during their meeting at the Vatican on April 26. The Ukrainian head of state made this statement in an evening address.

"We spoke with the President of the United States, with Donald Trump, about our readiness to conclude an agreement – we spoke at a meeting in the Vatican. In fact, now we have the first result of the Vatican meeting, which makes it truly historic", Zelenskyy said.

He noted that the Ukrainian side is "very much looking forward" to other results of this conversation, but did not specify what exactly they were about.

"We had a meaningful meeting [at the Vatican], President Trump and I used every minute of our time one hundred percent. I thank you for that. And once again, thank you to our teams – Ukrainian and American. The work on the agreement was truly professional, and although the negotiations were sometimes difficult, the result is strong", the president added.

• On the night of May 1, Ukraine and the United States signed an agreement to establish a Reconstruction Investment Fund (the so-called mineral deal).
• Economy Minister Svyrydenko explained that the States can contribute to the fund not only with money, but also with new assistance, in particular air defense systems.
• The Cabinet of Ministers subsequently published the full text of the agreement.