US Secretary Bessent met with President Zelensky

Author: TASR, 12.2.2025 19:41

Kiev/Washington, February 12 (TASR) - US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kiev on Wednesday. The main topic of discussion was minerals, as the United States recently announced that it would supply Ukraine with aid in exchange for its precious metals. TASR reports this based on reports by AFP and Reuters.

It was the first visit by a member of US President Donald Trump's administration to Ukraine. 

Trump announced Bessent's planned trip on the Truth Social social network on Tuesday, but did not provide any further details.

Zelensky told reporters after the talks that the US side had submitted the first draft of an agreement on Wednesday, which Kiev will review. However, he expressed hope that they would be able to conclude it during this week's Munich Security Conference (MSC). "We had a productive, constructive conversation. For me, the issue of security guarantees for Ukraine is very important, and we talked about minerals in general," Zelensky added. Bessent called the agreement part of a "larger peace deal" that Trump is seeking. According to him, this visit is proof that the conflict between Kiev and Moscow is Trump's top priority. Bessent added that the US will also provide a "long-term security shield for all Ukrainians" with the planned agreement .

According to Reuters, Zelensky outlined a plan for such a precious metals deal between the two countries last week. Trump recently said that in exchange for American support, he wants $500 billion (482 billion euros) of these minerals from Ukraine, the agency recalls. Bessent's visit precedes Zelensky's meeting with US Vice President JD Vance in Germany at the MSC on Friday.

AFP reported on Monday that Trump's special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, is also expected to visit Ukraine on February 20. The US president has reportedly tasked him with developing a plan to stop the fighting in Ukraine.