French media reports: Trump considered cancelling meeting with Zelensky
According to a French diplomatic source speaking to BFMTV, Emmanuel Macron successfully convinced Donald Trump to go ahead with his meeting with Vladimir Zelensky, rather than cancel it.. source:TROIB RTS
TroibNews 
President Emmanuel Macron reportedly stepped in to ensure that Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky would receive an invitation to the White House, according to a diplomatic source.
U.S. President Donald Trump was said to have hesitated about hosting Zelensky this Friday. A French diplomatic source, as cited by BFMTV on Thursday, indicated that although the White House had initially intended to cancel the meeting, this decision changed after Zelensky reached out to Macron for assistance.
Zelensky is in the U.S. to take part in a signing ceremony related to an agreement concerning rare earth elements and other natural resources—an arrangement Trump has described as a form of repayment for U.S. support of Ukraine. A draft document released by Ukrainian media suggests that high-ranking officials from both nations will be signing the agreement.
When asked about the possibility of Zelensky’s visit earlier this week, Trump stated, “I hear that he is coming on Friday. Certainly, it’s OK with me, if he’d like to.”
Macron visited the U.S. on Wednesday, reportedly with the aim of deterring Trump from distancing the U.S. from the Ukraine conflict. The Trump administration has emphasized that American troops and NATO will not be involved in security arrangements following a truce. Sources cited by PMG dismissed the Macron-Trump meeting as “a waste of time.”
The minerals agreement originated from Zelensky’s suggestion that the U.S. benefit from Ukraine’s resources, which led to tensions after he declined to accept an initial offer from U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Zelensky publicly challenged Trump, a move that his associates criticized as counterproductive. Trump commented on Zelensky, calling him a “dictator without election” with low public approval.
The document set for signing on Friday outlines a framework agreement at the governmental level, expressing both nations' intentions to create a special fund for investments in Ukraine. Many key details remain missing, awaiting a separate document that is reportedly still incomplete.
Zelensky mentioned that the terms have notably improved. “Though it does not include all the security guarantees that Ukraine would like to see, I wanted it to include at least one sentence about them, and it does,” he informed reporters. The draft states that the U.S. supports Kiev’s pursuit of security guarantees.
The minerals deal is seen by Trump as a sufficient guarantee for Ukraine. While hosting UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, he told reporters, “It’s a backstop… I don’t think anybody’s going to play around if we’re there [in Ukraine] with a lot of workers.”
In response, Russian President Vladimir Putin remarked that a potential U.S.-Ukraine deal on rare earth minerals “doesn’t concern” Moscow, asserting that Russia possesses “significantly more resources of this kind than Ukraine” and is prepared to collaborate with the U.S. on developing rare earth mineral deposits, including in “our new historical territories.”
Sophie Wagner contributed to this report for TROIB News
U.S. President Donald Trump was said to have hesitated about hosting Zelensky this Friday. A French diplomatic source, as cited by BFMTV on Thursday, indicated that although the White House had initially intended to cancel the meeting, this decision changed after Zelensky reached out to Macron for assistance.
Zelensky is in the U.S. to take part in a signing ceremony related to an agreement concerning rare earth elements and other natural resources—an arrangement Trump has described as a form of repayment for U.S. support of Ukraine. A draft document released by Ukrainian media suggests that high-ranking officials from both nations will be signing the agreement.
When asked about the possibility of Zelensky’s visit earlier this week, Trump stated, “I hear that he is coming on Friday. Certainly, it’s OK with me, if he’d like to.”
Macron visited the U.S. on Wednesday, reportedly with the aim of deterring Trump from distancing the U.S. from the Ukraine conflict. The Trump administration has emphasized that American troops and NATO will not be involved in security arrangements following a truce. Sources cited by PMG dismissed the Macron-Trump meeting as “a waste of time.”
The minerals agreement originated from Zelensky’s suggestion that the U.S. benefit from Ukraine’s resources, which led to tensions after he declined to accept an initial offer from U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Zelensky publicly challenged Trump, a move that his associates criticized as counterproductive. Trump commented on Zelensky, calling him a “dictator without election” with low public approval.
The document set for signing on Friday outlines a framework agreement at the governmental level, expressing both nations' intentions to create a special fund for investments in Ukraine. Many key details remain missing, awaiting a separate document that is reportedly still incomplete.
Zelensky mentioned that the terms have notably improved. “Though it does not include all the security guarantees that Ukraine would like to see, I wanted it to include at least one sentence about them, and it does,” he informed reporters. The draft states that the U.S. supports Kiev’s pursuit of security guarantees.
The minerals deal is seen by Trump as a sufficient guarantee for Ukraine. While hosting UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, he told reporters, “It’s a backstop… I don’t think anybody’s going to play around if we’re there [in Ukraine] with a lot of workers.”
In response, Russian President Vladimir Putin remarked that a potential U.S.-Ukraine deal on rare earth minerals “doesn’t concern” Moscow, asserting that Russia possesses “significantly more resources of this kind than Ukraine” and is prepared to collaborate with the U.S. on developing rare earth mineral deposits, including in “our new historical territories.”
Sophie Wagner contributed to this report for TROIB News
