Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to sign a minerals agreement with the US in “the very short term”, White House National Security Adviser Mike Waltz said on Friday amid signs of cooling tension between Washington and Kyiv.
Mr Waltz said the Ukrainian leader would sign the deal granting the US access to its deposits of aluminium, gallium, tritium and other rare-earth minerals.
“Here's the bottom line, President Zelenskyy is going to sign that deal, and you will see that in the very short term,” he told the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) near Washington. “And that is good for Ukraine.”
Mr Zelenskyy on Wednesday had rejected a US offer for $500 billion in mineral wealth from Ukraine to repay the US for its military assistance, saying Washington had supplied nowhere near that sum and that the agreement did not come with sufficient security guarantees.
But on Friday, Mr Zelenskyy's office said the Ukrainian president's chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, discussed “aligning positions” in bilateral relations in a call with Mr Waltz.
President Donald Trump was later asked how close the US and Ukraine are to signing a deal.
"I think they want it. They feel good about it, it's significant. It's a big deal, but they want it, and it keeps us in that country, and they're very happy about it, but it's how we get our money back," Mr Trump told reporters.
"We're going to either sign a deal, or there's going to be a lot of problems with [Ukraine]. So we're going to sign a deal to get security, because we have to do that. We're spending our treasure. They're spending their blood."
Keith Kellogg, Mr Trump's envoy for the Ukraine war, praised Mr Zelenskyy as being a “courageous leader”. The remark struck a more conciliatory tone than comments this week from Mr Trump, who at one point called the Ukrainian President a “dictator”.
Washington and Moscow held talks in Saudi Arabia this week aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, which excluded Kiev and Europe. This marked a stark reversal of US foreign policy nearly three years since Russia's full-scale invasion of its neighbour.
Mr Trump, who took office last month, campaigned on a promise to quickly end the war and cut US military aid for Ukraine. He says the US has grossly overspent compared to European allies who could be more affected by the war, given their geographic proximity.
Mr Trump has pledged that the US should be able to recoup American aid that was disbursed under former president Joe Biden's administration, saying American taxpayers deserve to be paid back.
“I've had very good talks with [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, and I've had not such good talks with Ukraine. They don't have any cards, but they play it tough. But we're not going to let this continue,” Mr Trump told Republican governors on Friday.
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Congress has passed five bills allocating about $175 billion in aid to the war-torn country. Mr Trump has claimed the US has sent $350 billion in aid to Ukraine.
“I think President Trump is very upset at President Zelenskyy, and in some cases, rightfully so,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in an interview aired on Friday.
Mr Rubio said the minerals agreement would be a “joint venture” with Ukraine. “Not because we're trying to steal from your country, because we think that's actually a security guarantee,” he said.
On Wednesday, Mr Trump blamed Mr Zelenskyy for starting the war with Russia. He said Mr Zelenskyy had misused American funding and taken advantage of Mr Biden.
WWE Super ShowDown results
Seth Rollins beat Baron Corbin to retain his WWE Universal title
Finn Balor defeated Andrade to stay WWE Intercontinental Championship
Shane McMahon defeated Roman Reigns
Lars Sullivan won by disqualification against Lucha House Party
Randy Orton beats Triple H
Braun Strowman beats Bobby Lashley
Kofi Kingston wins against Dolph Zigggler to retain the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
Mansoor Al Shehail won the 50-man Battle Royal
The Undertaker beat Goldberg
More from Neighbourhood Watch
Profile of Bitex UAE
Date of launch: November 2018
Founder: Monark Modi
Based: Business Bay, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: Eight employees
Investors: Self-funded to date with $1m of personal savings
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: ten-speed
Power: 420bhp
Torque: 624Nm
Price: Dh325,125
On sale: Now
Abramovich London
A Kensington Palace Gardens house with 15 bedrooms is valued at more than £150 million.
A three-storey penthouse at Chelsea Waterfront bought for £22 million.
Steel company Evraz drops more than 10 per cent in trading after UK officials said it was potentially supplying the Russian military.
Sale of Chelsea Football Club is now impossible.
The%20specs
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THE SPECS
Engine: 1.6-litre turbo
Transmission: six-speed automatic
Power: 165hp
Torque: 240Nm
Price: From Dh89,000 (Enjoy), Dh99,900 (Innovation)
On sale: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
End of free parking
- paid-for parking will be rolled across Abu Dhabi island on August 18
- drivers will have three working weeks leeway before fines are issued
- areas that are currently free to park - around Sheikh Zayed Bridge, Maqta Bridge, Mussaffah Bridge and the Corniche - will now require a ticket
- villa residents will need a permit to park outside their home. One vehicle is Dh800 and a second is Dh1,200.
- The penalty for failing to pay for a ticket after 10 minutes will be Dh200
- Parking on a patch of sand will incur a fine of Dh300
The%20specs
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War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
The specs: 2018 Opel Mokka X
Price, as tested: Dh84,000
Engine: 1.4L, four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: Six-speed auto
Power: 142hp at 4,900rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 1,850rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L / 100km
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The Vile
Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah
Director: Majid Al Ansari
Rating: 4/5
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
'O'
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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1.
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United States
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2.
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China
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3.
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UAE
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4.
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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6.
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Canada
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7.
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Singapore
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8.
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Australia
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9.
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Saudi Arabia
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10.
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South Korea
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