From Oval Office blowout to landmark minerals deal, how Ukraine’s diplomacy unfolded

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KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Last fall, weeks before Donald Trump was elected U.S. president, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy floated a pitch that proposed, among other things, an economic deal that would allow Washington access to Ukraine’s largely untapped minerals and deepen strategic ties.

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Under pressure from Western allies and amid global war fatigue, Zelenskyy saw that the days of Biden administration-era robust military aid might be numbered, and so the pitch was part of the Ukrainian leader’s so-called victory plan to end the Russia-Ukraine war. It was an offer that would appeal to Trump’s penchant for transactions-based diplomacy in hopes of ensuring a steady flow of future American support in return.

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Seven months later, a landmark deal between Ukraine and the Trump administration on Ukraine’s mineral resources was inked. But the road in between was paved with mutual recriminations, a historic Oval Office blowout, “hundreds” of revisions, and finally, a chance meeting on the sidelines of Pope Francis’ funeral.

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Last minute snags threatened to undermine the signing of the agreement, but in the end Ukraine secured a deal that, once set in motion, brings closer ties with the U.S. and a provides a vehicle for future military assistance.  Ukraine’s parliament is expected to pass the agreement on Thursday, and other documents pertaining to the deal are being finalized.

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“It seems to me that this is the first time in history that the United States considers Ukraine as a long-term strategic partner, economically,” Economy Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko said at a media briefing in Kyiv on Thursday, hours before the parliament vote.

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Here’s a timeline of the deal’s conception and signing:

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September: Zelenskyy makes a pitch

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In response to rising pressure from Western allies and clear battlefield disadvantages, Zelenskyy outlines a so-called victory plan to end the war. The plan sought to strengthen Kyiv’s negotiating hand and proposed measures to boost its military potential, but also economic partnerships with Western allies.

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Ukraine is rich in natural resources, including critically important metals such as uranium, titanium, lithium, and graphite.

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Zelenskyy pitches the plan to the White House during a visit to Washington in late September, and later in a meeting with Trump at Trump Tower in New York.

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Giving American companies preferential access to Ukraine would serve as leverage against Russia as most mineral deposits are located very close to front-line areas. Having U.S. companies on the ground, the thinking goes, would cement Washington’s interests in Ukraine and serve as a de facto security guarantee. Critical minerals used to manufacture weapons, aviation and batteries would also give the U.S. access to reserves in a global market dominated by China.

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Trump appears captivated by the idea and very soon after his inauguration in January starts touting the idea of getting Ukraine’s rare earth elemnts.

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February:  An Oval Office shouting match

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By February, the White House and Ukraine appear to have made significant progress toward reaching an agreement that would provide the U.S. with access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals.