Macron averts diplomatic rift, secures Trump-Zelensky meet
The President of the USA, Donald Trump, had intended to cancel the meeting scheduled for Friday with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky. However, thanks to the intervention of French President Emmanuel Macron, the meeting will proceed. This information was reported by BFM, citing sources within French diplomacy.
According to reports, Volodymyr Zelensky was informed by the American administration about the cancellation of the meeting. In response, the Ukrainian president contacted Emmanuel Macron, who in turn called Donald Trump, asking him to reconsider his decision. "Trump had to backtrack on the decision to cancel the meeting after pressure from Macron", emphasized BFM.
The meeting at the White House may occur in a tense atmosphere. In recent weeks, Trump called Zelensky a dictator and stated that Ukraine has no chance of joining NATO. Despite this, there are plans to finalize an agreement regarding a partnership in the exploitation of Ukrainian natural resources during the visit.
Agreement on natural resources
According to the "Financial Times", both parties have negotiated a draft agreement in which the USA waives demands for $500 (CAD 720) billion in potential revenues from the exploitation of Ukrainian resources. It is planned to establish a fund to which Ukraine would contribute 50% of the revenues from the future monetization of state mineral resources, including oil and gas. This fund would invest in projects in Ukraine.
The meeting between Trump and Zelensky, despite earlier tensions, could prove crucial for future relations between the USA and Ukraine, especially in terms of economic and political cooperation.
