Trump: US, Ukraine to sign mineral agreement soon

US President Donald Trump has said that the United States will soon sign an agreement on minerals and natural resources with Ukraine.

Trump told reporters at the White House on Thursday evening that his efforts to achieve peace between Ukraine and Russia are going very well “”, as this week he spoke to leaders of the two countries involved in the war, broadcast Periscope.

We're doing very well with Ukraine and Russia. And one of the things we're doing is signing an agreement with Ukraine very quickly about rare minerals”, Trump said.

While Trump was making these comments, Russian forces attacked civilian infrastructure in Odessa, causing damage and injuring three people, including one girl, the regional governor said.

“The enemy lashed out at Odessa and the region”, Governor Oleh Kipper said.

“There is damage to civilian infrastructure, including a high residential building, a shopping mall and shop”, he wrote in the telegram.

In Russia's Kursk region, meanwhile, Ukrainian forces attacked the Sudzha gas distribution station. Independent media Sota published a photo on the telegram that features a huge fire.

Ukrainian government officials have not declared the attack. Moscow didn't report the incident either.

The station was the only point through which Russian gas passed on its path to Europe, until Ukraine refused to extend a transit agreement in January.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin ordered Ukrainians on Thursday in Ukraine's occupied territories to obtain Russian passports by September 10th or to leave. Ultimatum applies to Ukrainians in occupied Donjeck regions, Luhansk, Herson and Zaporija, former Ukraine Economy Minister Timothy Mylovanov said at X.

This week, Trump held separate talks with Putin and Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, in an effort to mediate the arrival of a ceasefire between the two neighbouring countries.

He failed to secure a full 30-day ceasefire, but the talks prompted Putin to agree to halt Russian attacks on energy infrastructure for 30 days. After talks with Trump, Zelensky said he would also accept such a pause.

“We want this (war) to end, and I think we're doing very well in this direction”, Trump said.

Ukraine and the United States agreed earlier this month to conclude a comprehensive agreement on the development of its mineral resources. Efforts to finalise the deal collapsed on 28 February following a fierce debate between Trump and Zelensky at the White House.

Trump and Zelensky agreed on March 19th to work together to end Russia's war in Ukraine, during a telephone conversation that the White House described as being “-ex1>.

It is not clear whether the terms of the mineral agreement have changed. An earlier version did not include security guarantees for Ukraine that Zelensky had requested. / REL