The backdrop of this meeting was the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, which began in 2022 when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, citing Ukraine’s NATO aspirations as a direct national security threat.

Since then, Ukraine has relied heavily on military and financial aid from the US and European allies. Under then-president Joe Biden, the US provided billions of dollars in aid, ensuring Ukraine’s ability to sustain its defense. However, with Trump back in office, the future of this assistance has become uncertain.

A key component of Zelensky’s visit was to negotiate a critical minerals cooperation agreement with the US as part of a broader energy and defense strategy. Critical minerals, including rare earth elements and uranium, are vital for modern industries, particularly in electric vehicles, energy transition technologies and military defense systems.

Before the White House meeting, Zelensky had already engaged in discussions with the US treasury secretary regarding a proposed contract that would grant the US a 50 percent ownership stake in Ukraine’s rare earth mineral resources.

The deal was seen by US officials as a way to secure long-term access to critical minerals essential for national security. However, Zelensky declined to sign the agreement, arguing that there were no guarantees of sustained financial and military support in return. His rejection of the proposal set the stage for an even more challenging discussion with Trump.

Zelensky arrived in Washington with two primary objectives, to secure continued US military and financial assistance, as Ukraine had enjoyed during the Biden administration, and to establish a critical minerals partnership with the US, ensuring access to American resources in exchange for granting the US influence over Ukraine’s vast reserves of rare earth elements.