Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is going to have to do more than provide the U.S. with access to the country’s mineral reserves if it wants Washington to start sharing intelligence and restore military aid.
President Donald Trump has reportedly indicated that he wants Zelensky to agree to concessions and to hold elections, according to NBC News.
Trump wants the deal, which would give the U.S. a stake in Ukraine’s mineral resources, signed. But he also wants to see a change in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s attitude toward peace talks, the officials said, including a willingness to make concessions such as giving up territory to Russia. Trump also wants Zelenskyy to make some movement toward elections in Ukraine and possibly toward stepping down as his country’s leader, the officials said.
Elections in Ukraine have been paused under the country’s constitutional provision for martial law, which has been in effect since Russia invaded in 2022.
The U.S. and Ukraine are expected to hold negotiations in Saudi Arabia this week. White House National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes acknowledged that Ukraine has “made positive movement” and that Trump administration hopes the meetings will lead to “more positive movement that will hopefully ultimately end this brutal war and bloodshed.”
Meanwhile, Russia is ramping up its military efforts in Ukraine after the Trump administration halted aid and stopped sharing intelligence with Ukraine.
The U.S. does not have any indication that the pause in intelligence sharing had a direct impact on the Russian attacks, according to the U.S. official and the administration official. They said these large attacks were likely planned before the intelligence and aid stopped.
Congressional Republicans are applying pressure on the White House to restart both aid and intelligence, and the two officials said they are optimistic the flow of weapons and equipment and sharing of intelligence could be restored as early as next week, especially after Zelenskyy pronounced that Ukraine is “ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible.” The Ukrainian president also said he and his team “stand ready to work under President Trump’s strong leadership to get a peace that lasts.”
Trump seems to want to end the Ukraine War, and I'm all for it. Negotiating a ceasefire means dealing with Putin. That's the reality. So when Trump's critics whine about Trump "talking to a dictator," I have to wonder if they have any interest in peace at all. How else are you… pic.twitter.com/jZZhm7mwXl
— Glenn Loury (@GlennLoury) March 10, 2025
The president on Sunday told reporters that the White House is close to restarting the sharing of intelligence, Axios reported. It is believed that the decision to stop sharing this information prompted Zelensky to issue a statement offering an olive branch to the White House after a contentious meeting with Trump and Vice President JD Vance last month.
Trump told reporters that he wants Ukraine “to want peace … and right now they haven’t shown it to the extent that they should” but expressed optimism that they will come to the negotiation table.
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