Volodymyr Zelenskyy has arrived in Washington for crucial talks with Donald Trump, with the leaders expected to sign a minerals deal. It comes after the US president hosted Sir Keir Starmer yesterday. Listen to a Trump 100 podcast on their meeting as you scroll.
Friday 28 February 2025 07:42, UK
By David Blevins, Sky correspondent in Washington
It feels like „the draft“ has come six weeks early – the annual selection meeting in American football.
For three or four days, teams in the NFL attempt to woo players with the most lucrative contracts.
In a classic Emmanuel Macron manoeuvre, the French president deployed flattery in the Oval Office.
Three days later, Sir Keir Starmer the charmer upped the game, whipping out a letter from the King.
In their determination to entice the key player back on to Europe’s side, their tactical game was top-notch.
But Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s arrival at the White House is the moment of truth for their charm offensive.
The Ukrainian leader has stressed the need for security guarantees before signing any agreement.
Donald Trump seems to be suggesting that a deal on rare earth minerals provides such security.
„Digging our hearts out,“ as he put it, in an economic partnership, would certainly be ground-breaking diplomacy.
This week’s flurry in Washington reflects Europe’s concern about Trump’s push to end the war.
Ten days ago, his apparent concessions to Russia sounded alarm bells across the Atlantic.
But his meetings with Macron and Starmer were more amicable than France and the UK dared hope.
Both fact-checked him in real time when he claimed European aid for Ukraine had been given as a loan.
Here’s the moment Donald Trump denied ever calling Volodymyr Zelenskyy a dictator during his meeting with Sir Keir Starmer yesterday – which he did twice last week.
Trump first labelled Ukraine’s president a „dictator without elections“ in a post on Truth Social last Wednesday, before repeating the claim at a tech summit in Miami hours later.
But he denied doing so yesterday when asked by reporters about the comment in the Oval Office…
Volodymyr Zelenskyy is hoping to gain some kind of security guarantees that would underpin any peace deal with Russia when he visits Donald Trump in Washington today.
Ukraine’s president is also expected to sign a landmark economic agreement that will give the US access to its rare earth mineral resources.
Trump suggested yesterday that US mining in Ukraine would deter future Russian aggression, calling it a „backstop, you could say“ (see 06.36 post).
On Wednesday, Zelenskyy said being able to meet personally with Trump before Russian President Vladimir Putin does „is a good signal.“
The Ukrainian leader added he hopes to discuss whether the US plans to halt its military aid to Ukraine and, if so, whether Kyiv could purchase weapons directly from the US.
He also said he wants to know if Ukraine can use frozen Russian assets to buy weapons and if Trump plans to lift sanctions on Moscow.
Donald Trump made several comments about Ukraine, Russia and his efforts to help bring an end to the war when he hosted Sir Keir Starmer in Washington yesterday.
The US president had made it his mission to stop the conflict as quickly as possible after returning to the White House.
Sir Keir praised Trump for „changing the conversation“ on Ukraine „to bring about the possibility that now we can have a peace deal“.
Here’s what the president said about the conflict:
Putin will ‚keep his word‘ on peace
Trump insisted that Vladimir Putin would „keep his word“ on a peace deal for Ukraine.
Asked why he appeared to trust Putin when Starmer did not, Trump replied: „I know a lot of people that you would say no chance that they would ever deceive you, and they are the worst people in the world.
„I know others that you would guarantee they would deceive you, and you know what, they’re 100% honourable, so you never know what you’re getting.
„No, I have confidence that if we make a deal, it’s going to hold.“
‚Did I say that?‘
Last week, Trump made headlines and prompted a huge backlash when he called Volodymyr Zelebskyy a „dictator“ for not holding elections in Ukraine, despite the country being under martial law.
Asked about his use of the word yesterday, Trump said: „Did I say that? I can’t believe I would say that.“
He later praised Zelebskyy as „very brave“ and said he was someone who he had „a lot of respect“ for.
Trump
Speaking about the minerals deal due to be signed with Zelenskyy today, Trump suggested it could act as a backstop to deter future Russian aggression.
But he stopped short of offering any specific security guarantees for Ukraine – such as a commitment of US military support – something which Starmer had hoped to secure heading into the meeting.
„President Zelenskyy is coming to see me on Friday morning,“ said Trump.
„And we’re going to be signing really a very important agreement for both sides because it’s really going to get us into that country, working there,“ he said.
He added it was a „backstop, you could say“.
Welcome back to our live coverage of the war in Ukraine.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy is due in Washington DC today to sign a critical minerals deal with Donald Trump at the White House.
It comes the day after Sir Keir Starmer met the US president in Washington, where Trump insisted that Vladimir Putin would „keep his word“ on a peace deal with Ukraine.
He also questioned whether he ever called Zelenskyy a „dictator“ and said the two leaders would get along „really well“ when they met in the US capital later today.
We’ll be catching up with last night’s events in the blog shortly, as well as bringing you the latest news from the frontline and all the latest on Zelenskyy’s trip to meet Trump.
We’re pausing our live coverage of the Ukraine war on this live page, but we’ll be back with more tomorrow.
It’s set to be a big evening, however, with Sir Keir Starmer meeting Donald Trump at the White House. The future of the war in Ukraine is expected to dominate talks between the two leaders and you’ll be able to follow every twist and turn in the Politics Hub.
But before we go, here are the key developments in the Ukraine war from today:
Vladimir Putin said Russia does not reject a peaceful solution to its war with Ukraine – he has been claiming since June that Russia is ready for peace, but that is conditional on its demands being met.
He also said Moscow and the US were ready to establish cooperation, adding initial contacts with Donald Trump’s administration gave grounds for hope.
His comments came as US and Russian officials held talks lasting six hours in Turkey today, although the US State Department said before the meeting that Ukraine would not be discussed.
On the battlefield, Moscow’s foreign ministry said Russian forces had recaptured another settlement in its Kursk region.
It said the village of Nikolsky was now back in Russian hands after Ukrainian troops were recently driven out – Sky News could not independently verify the report.
That came after South Korea’s spy agency said North Korea appears to have sent additional troops to Russia for use in its war in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, France’s defence minister said the country is, like the US, seeking access to Ukraine’s deposits of critical minerals, and negotiations have been under way for months.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy is also expected in Washington tomorrow to sign a minerals deal with the US.
We’ve got more to bring you now on talks between US and Russian officials in Turkey today (see our 8.20am post).
According to Russian state news agency TASS, the talks have now wrapped up after six hours.
In a statement issued before the meeting took place in Istanbul, the US State Department said the talks, which were led by working level officials, would not include any discussions on Ukraine or political or security issues.
Earlier, Vladimir Putin told members of the FSB security service that „first contacts with the new American administration inspire certain hopes“ (see our 12.39pm post).
„There is a reciprocal mood to work to restore intergovernmental ties and to gradually resolve the huge number of systemic and strategic problems that have built up in the world’s security architecture,“ he added.
The Kremlin says Vladimir Putin met with the secretary of The Central Committee of the Workers‘ Party of Korea today.
The Russian president was filmed greeting the man, identified as Lee Hee-yong, before the pair posed for photos.
It comes amid reports that North Korea is sending further troops to Russia for help in its war with Ukraine (see 6.49am post).
By Ivor Bennett, Moscow correspondent
These comments from Vladimir Putin feel like his latest attempt to throw a spanner in the works of European efforts to lobby for American involvement in a Ukrainian security guarantee.
He was giving his annual address to the FSB (Russia’s security service) and the timing was more than a little convenient, coinciding with Keir Starmer’s visit to Washington.
It was an attempt, I think, to ensure that the British Prime Minister’s voice isn’t the only one that Donald Trump hears today.
The Kremlin leader made a similar move on Monday when France’s Emmanuel Macron was in the White House, reminding the US president of all the potential deals he could strike with Moscow if he sides with them.
And it’s a similar thing here. Putin said that Russia and the US are ready to establish „cooperation“, and that their initial contacts have given „grounds for hope“.
Hope for Russia, maybe, but not Ukraine.
Sir Keir Starmer is in Washington today to meet Donald Trump to discuss Ukraine and Europe’s long-term security.
Sky News‘ deputy political editor Sam Coates and Politico’s Tim Ross assess what Starmer’s approach might be and what he might actually be able to do on the latest episode of Politics At Jack And Sam’s.
Will he – can he – take Macron’s recent approach of flattery and charm, or will he take a firmer line?
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Ukraine war latest: Zelenskyy arrives in Washington – after Trump denies 'dictator' attack – Sky News
