United States President Donald Trump confirmed on Thursday that a long-anticipated mineral and rare earths deal with Ukraine is scheduled to be signed on April 24. The statement came during a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, where Trump told reporters, “We have a minerals deal, which I guess is going to be signed on Thursday, next Thursday, soon. And I assume they're going to live up to the deal, so we'll see.”

Trump’s announcement followed earlier remarks by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who had stated that the agreement could be finalized as early as today during their virtual meeting. However, Trump indicated that he had “no idea” about Zelensky’s timeline, distancing himself from those expectations and emphasizing that April 24 remains the target date.

The deal marks a significant development in bilateral relations, centered on the U.S. securing access to Ukraine’s critical mineral and rare earth resources. Such materials are vital to a range of industries, including defense and renewable energy technologies.

Negotiations had previously stalled after Zelensky abruptly exited a White House meeting over disagreements with President Trump regarding possible solutions to the ongoing war in Ukraine. The dialogue was later revived, and both sides described the renewed talks as productive, with Zelensky recently characterizing the tone as “positive.”

Despite that optimism, tensions remain. During his Thursday press conference, Zelensky accused U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff of echoing Kremlin narratives, casting a shadow over the evolving diplomatic efforts.

Still, the signing of the mineral deal would represent a strategic step forward in U.S.-Ukraine cooperation, particularly in the context of Washington’s broader push to reduce reliance on adversarial nations for critical supply chains. The Biden administration’s prior framework had emphasized similar goals, and the Trump administration has carried that momentum into its second term.

Observers now await the formal signing of the agreement on April 24, which could serve as a litmus test for broader U.S.-Ukraine relations amid ongoing conflict and competing diplomatic agendas.