TRANSCRIPT
At a cabinet meeting in Washington DC, US President Donald Trump says he expects to sign a US-Ukraine revenue-sharing agreement on Ukrainian critical minerals soon.
This came as talks between US and Russian officials concluded in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh's Ritz Carlton hotel.
A White House source has told Reuters that progress had been made in the talks, and spoke of a positive announcement to come in the near future.
It comes as part of Mr Trump's effort to bring an end to Russia’s three-year war in Ukraine.
The talks are also aimed at securing safe trade routes in the Black Sea.
US President Trump was questioned on President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's interview published in the Time magazine.
The Ukrainian President was quoted saying he believes that some members of Mr Trump's team have been influenced by Russian information.
President Trump says his team are getting the job done.
"Well, probably they have been influenced to get this thing settled because Ukraine wants to see it settled. I think they have to have it settled and Russia wants to see it settled. And I think if I weren't president, this would never happen. Marco's doing a great job and Steve Witkoff (Trump's special envoy) has been incredible. Michael Waltz (National security adviser), we have a great group of people working on it, and it takes a good part of their day settling something that really, well, it affects us monetarily because we've given so much money. And we're getting that done."
Mr Trump says they have been giving money to Ukraine.
"In fact, Scott is telling me that the agreement on rare earths is just about completed. They'll sign it shortly. So it's as you know, Europe is in for a very small fraction of what we're in for. It affects them much more than it affects us. And again, they are in as a loan, which nobody knew until I came along. Europe is giving the money to Ukraine as a loan. We were just pouring money into Ukraine. It's a very unfair situation. So we made a deal on rare earths..."
He says the US is talking to Ukraine about the prospects for American firms owning Ukrainian power plants.
"Some people are saying the United States should own the power plant and then work it that way, because we have the expertise to fix it up, etc., etc.. So okay, that would be, something like that would be fine with me. But they are talking about ownership of the big nuclear power plant in particular. But all of these things will come up and they have come up. And that has been discussed.."]]
Mr Zelenskyy says he recently spoke with the country's Defence Minister, Rustem Umerov, saying he expects a new report following meetings held with the US representatives.
"We need a movement towards real peace, towards guaranteed security. And we all need this: in Ukraine, in Europe, in America, everyone in the world who wants peace in international relations. Russia is the only entity that is dragging out this war and mocking our people and the whole world. And to pressure Russia towards peace, strong things, strong steps are needed."
Tammy Bruce is the US State Department spokeswoman
"What I can tell you in general, you mentioned the Black Sea, is we do have negotiating teams. Of course, they're meeting in Saudi Arabia to discuss broadening the ceasefire to the Black Sea on the way to the full ceasefire, which is always the prize. That's the prize right now. There's no other prize to fully restore peaceful commercial activity. The Black Sea, of course, is key to that."
Meanwhile, a Russian missile strike has red at least 88 people, including 17 children in Ukraine.
The attack damaged a school and hospital in Ukraine's northeastern city of Sumy.
Volodymyr Artyukh is Sumy's regional governor.
He says several high-rise residential blocks in the city centre were also damaged.
"An enemy missile hit the city centre. Some residential buildings were damaged. There's a school and the children were inside a protective structure, they are being evacuated now. They are alive and well. Emergency services are working at the site, they're putting out the fires. We're checking in on the people inside the residential buildings, to see if any of the injured need our help."
