Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has confirmed that Kyiv and Washington are working on an economic deal, but tensions remain over U.S. demands and Ukraine’s exclusion from U.S.-Russia peace talks.
In his nightly address on Friday, Zelenskyy said officials from both countries were negotiating an agreement to strengthen bilateral ties. However, he rejected an initial proposal focused on mineral cooperation, calling it “not a serious conversation” and not in Ukraine’s interests.
"This agreement has the potential to strengthen our relations and, most importantly, the details must be arranged in such a way that ensures it works. I am hoping for a result, a fair result," Zelenskyy said.
The negotiations follow discussions between his chief of staff, Andrii Yermak, and U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz. According to Zelenskyy’s office, Yermak emphasized the need to maintain strong cooperation with Washington.
Waltz, speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference, said he expected Zelenskyy to sign the minerals agreement soon. "Here's the bottom line, President Zelenskyy is going to sign that deal, and you will see that in the very short term," he stated.
Zelenskyy pushed back against U.S. demands for $500 billion worth of Ukrainian mineral wealth as repayment for wartime aid, arguing that Washington had not provided assistance on such a scale. He also criticized the deal for lacking the security guarantees Ukraine is seeking as part of a broader peace settlement.
Meanwhile, tensions between Zelenskyy and former U.S. President Donald Trump escalated this week. Trump, who has launched a bid to broker an end to the war, described Zelensky as "a dictator without elections" for remaining in office without holding a wartime vote.
Zelenskyy also spoke with leaders from Croatia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Slovenia, Ireland, Luxembourg, and Sweden, urging greater European involvement in peace efforts.
"The main conclusion is that Europe must and can do considerably more so that peace can realistically be achieved," he said.
As diplomatic tensions grow, Ukraine remains focused on securing an agreement that meets its economic and security needs while avoiding unfavorable terms imposed by Washington.
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The White House says deploying United States ground troops in Iran is not currently part of the military strategy in the ongoing conflict with Tehran.
Israel has warned residents to leave a significant area in southern Lebanon, instructing them to move north of the Litani River as hostilities with the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah intensified on Wednesday.
A U.S. submarine strike sank an Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka, leaving at least 80 dead, the country’s deputy foreign minister said. Meanwhile, Iran postponed the funeral of its late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, according to state media.
The election of Iran’s next supreme leader could provide an opportunity to end the ongoing regional war involving Israel, the U.S. and Iran, Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has said.
U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. military has enough stockpiled weapons to fight wars "forever"; in a social media post late on Monday. The remarks came hours before conflict in Iran and the Middle East entered its fourth day.
U.S. first lady, Melania Trump chaired a UN Security Council meeting on children and education in conflict on Monday (2 March), a move criticised by Iran as hypocritical following U.S. and Israeli strikes that triggered a UN warning about risks to children.
A torpedo from a U.S. submarine sunk an Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka, U.S. Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth told reporters as the Iranian conflcit entered its fifth day on Wednesday.
The U.S. embassy in Riyadh was hit by two drones resulting in a limited fire and some material damage, the kingdom's defence ministry said in a post on X on Tuesday, citing an initial assessment.
Shahid Motahari Sub-Speciality Hospital in northern Tehran and parts of the Golestan Palace were bombed on day two of the U.S.‑Israel strikes. AnewZ Touraj Shiralilou is in Iran's capital city and said that the facility was flattened in an airstrike.
The White House says deploying United States ground troops in Iran is not currently part of the military strategy in the ongoing conflict with Tehran.
Israel has warned residents to leave a significant area in southern Lebanon, instructing them to move north of the Litani River as hostilities with the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah intensified on Wednesday.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the United States is making gains in its conflict with Iran after a key Iranian naval target was destroyed, confirming that the strike was carried out by a U.S. submarine off the coast of Sri Lanka. Rescue efforts are now under way for the ship’s crew.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 4th of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Strikes across the Middle East are intensifying, fuelling travel disruption, driving up global energy prices and forcing diplomatic missions to shut their doors.
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