President Donald Trump reportedly is pressuring Ukraine to commit to a quick ceasefire with Russia in connection with a proposed minerals deal, European officials were told, according to sources.
The natural resources agreement has been on hold since last week's contentious meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Now sources in Washington say the president is ready to finalize the deal if Ukraine's leader agrees to a path for talks and a truce with Russia, Bloomberg reported Thursday.
Both leaders said they are willing to reach a deal on Ukraine's natural resources.
Officials from the U.S. and Ukraine might meet next week in Saudi Arabia, with Zelenskyy planning to travel there, but the White House has not commented.
Trump officials, though, said the critical minerals agreement is a crucial part of Trump's plans for peace in Ukraine.
Zelenskyy said Thursday that his country and the U.S. have resumed work, adding to European Union leaders in Brussels that it is hoped that "we will have a meaningful meeting" next week.
There has been no indication that Russian President Vladimir Putin has been pushed to make compromises or agree to a truce, although U.S. officials have been talking to Russia,.
Further, the Trump administration has tightened the pressure on Zelenskyy to come to a deal, including suspending military aid and cutting off intelligence sharing.
National Security Mike Waltz told Fox News that if the parties can move toward the negotiations, Trump will take a "hard look" at lifting the pause.
John Brennan, a former CIA director, said cutting off intelligence to Ukraine was a "pressure tactic and extortion."
"Never, never in my experience did we ever cut off the flow of intelligence for a political reason," Brennan told Bloomberg.
The Trump administration has also suggested that a ceasefire would require Ukraine to remain out of NATO and make territorial concessions. But it is not clear if the U.S. will provide security guarantees to Ukraine, as Zelenskyy has demanded.
Meanwhile, the UK will do what it can to supply Ukraine with intelligence data, a source commented.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday acknowledged that it's not known if a deal will be reached between the U.S. and Ukraine.
"The fighting is going on, and it's a big mistake to think, 'Well, all we've got to do is wait for a deal now,'" he said.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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