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Home » TRANSCRIPT: Trump, Zelensky Give Remarks As Ukraine Minerals Deal Comes Into Focus

TRANSCRIPT: Trump, Zelensky Give Remarks As Ukraine Minerals Deal Comes Into Focus

Read the full transcript of Trump-Zelenskyy Oval Office meeting on Feb 28, 2025.

Listen to the audio version here:

TRANSCRIPT:

Trump and Zelensky Meet to Discuss Ukraine Minerals Deal

DONALD TRUMP: Well, thank you very much. It’s an honor to have President Zelensky of Ukraine. And we’ve been working very hard, very close. So we’ve actually known each other for a long time. We’ve been dealing with each other for a long time and very well. We had little negotiations, but that worked out great, I think, for both countries, and I think for the world, actually, beyond both countries.

And we have something that is a very fair deal. And we look forward to getting in and digging and working and getting some of the rare earth. But it means we’re going to be inside, and it’s a big commitment from the United States. And we appreciate working with you very much. And we will continue to do that.

We have had some very good discussions with Russia. I spoke with President Putin, and we’re going to try and bring this to a close. It’s something that you want and that he wants. We have to negotiate a deal. But we’ve started the confines of a deal, and I think something can happen.

The big thing is the number of soldiers being killed. We’re losing thousands of soldiers. So, on both sides, we’re losing a lot of soldiers. And we want to see it stop. And we want to see the money get put to different kinds of use, like rebuilding.

And we’re going to be working very hard. But we’ve had a lot of very good conversations. And we’ll say, until we came along, the Biden administration didn’t speak to Russia whatsoever. They didn’t speak to anybody. They just allowed this to continue.

And I will say that — I’ll say in front of you — you’ve heard me say it a thousand times. If I were President, this war would have never happened. We would have had a deal negotiated for you without having to go through what you’ve gone through.

But your soldiers have been unbelievably brave. We’ve given them great equipment, but somebody has to use the equipment. They’ve been unbelievably brave, and we give them great credit. This was supposed to be over very quickly, and here we are three years later. So I give tremendous credit to your generals and your soldiers and yourself in the sense that it’s been very hard fighting, very tough fighting. They’re great fighters, and you have to be very proud of them from that standpoint.

But now we want to get it over with. It’s enough, right? We want to get it over with. So it’s an honor to have you here. Thank you very much for coming.

I think we’re going to sign the agreement at the conference in the East Room in a little while, right after lunch. And we’ll be having lunch together. We’re also discussing some other things, and we appreciate everybody being here. It’s somewhat of an exciting moment, but the really exciting moment is when they stop the shooting and we end up with a deal. And I think we’re fairly close to getting that, and an honor to have you. And please, would you like to say something?

Zelensky Addresses Security Guarantees and Russian Aggression

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKY: Thanks so much, Mr. President. Thank you for invitation. And really, I hope that this document, first document, will be first step to real security guarantees for Ukraine, our people, our children. I really count on it.

And of course, we count that America will not stop support. Really, for us, it’s very important to support and to continue it. I want to discuss it with details further during our conversation and, of course, the infrastructure or security guarantees, because for today, I understand what Europe is ready to do. And, of course, I want to discuss with you what United States will be ready to do.

And I really count on your strong position to stop Putin. And you said that enough with the war. I think that it’s very important to say these words to Putin at the very beginning of war, because he is a killer and terrorist. But I hope that together we can stop him.

But for us, it’s very important to save our country, our values, our freedom and democracy. And, of course, no compromises with the killer about our territories. But it will be later.

And of course, what I wanted, we spoke about it by phone with you about the drone’s production. We have very good drone’s production. I think the best one in the world for today because of the war.

DONALD TRUMP: Yes.

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKY: And, of course, we need very much the air defense. You have the best air defense in the world. And really, you helped us under attacks of Russians. And I want to speak how we can exchange the licenses. We are open to share the licenses of all our drones with you, of course, with the United States. And we need licenses for quick production of air defense. Even after the war, we need our nation to be calm, that we are secure. So that’s why we need this air shield.

And of course, about this, I want to speak about the contingents. I think that France and UK already spoke to you. And we know that Europe is ready. But without United States, they will not be ready to be as strong as we need.

Addressing the Humanitarian Crisis: Ukrainian Prisoners and Kidnapped Children

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKY: And then the last point, last but not least, about exchange, about our people and children. And you know that these crazy Russians, that they stole 20,000 of Ukrainian children. They changed their names. They changed their families, relatives, and now they’re in Russia.