Key Points
- US President Donald Trump said he is "not a big fan" of his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
- Trump has demanded Ukraine give access to its rare earth minerals in return for US aid it got under Joe Biden.
- The US and Ukraine are set to sign a critical minerals deal.
United States President Donald Trump says he does not hold Volodymyr Zelenskyy "responsible" for Russia's invasion of his country but continued to criticise the Ukrainian leader.
It came as Trump signalled Ukraine would soon sign a sought by his administration — a deal he says would compensate the US for the billions of dollars in wartime aid it received under former US president Joe Biden.
Trump has repeatedly made the false claim that Ukraine started the war, which escalated in 2022 with Russian President Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and this week accused Zelenskyy of "millions" of deaths.
"I don't hold Zelenskyy responsible, but I'm not exactly thrilled with the fact that that war started," Trump said at the White House alongside visiting
"I'm not blaming him, but what I am saying is that I wouldn't say he's done the greatest job, OK? I am not a big fan."
Zelenskyy earlier this week invited Trump to visit Ukraine to see the devastation wrought by the war for himself, in an interview with US broadcaster CBS over the weekend, which Trump responded to with threats against the TV network.
In March, , Trump and US vice president JD Vance ended abruptly, of the Ukrainian leader.
trust between the US and Ukraine appears to have broken down after the heated exchange and the Ukrainians believe Trump is copying Russian remarks.
Meloni has thrown Italy's weight behind European efforts to shore up Ukraine's defences since the full-scale Russian invasion started in February 2022.
The leader of the nationalist right-wing Brothers of Italy party told reporters: "We've been defending freedom of Ukraine together, together we can build a just and lasting peace. We support your efforts."
What's happening with the US-Ukraine mineral deal?
Trump said a deal with Ukraine on extracting the war-ravaged country's strategic minerals could be inked next week.
The two countries had been close to signing a deal until the February clash between Trump and Zelenskyy temporarily derailed work on the agreement.
"We have a minerals deal which I guess is going to be signed on Thursday ... next Thursday," Trump said.
"And I assume they're going to live up to the deal. So we'll see. But we have a deal on that."
Ukraine's economy minister Yulia Svyrydenko said in a post on X Ukraine had signed a "memorandum of intent" with the US on a planned "investment fund for the reconstruction of Ukraine".
Svyrydenko did not provide any details on the memorandum.
"There is a lot to do, but the current pace and significant progress give reason to expect that the document will be very beneficial for both countries."
US treasury secretary Scott Bessent told Agence France-Presse a deal is targeted for 26 April.
— With reporting by Reuters and Agence France-Presse
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