US President Donald Trump on Thursday softened his tone for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and said he does not blame him for the Russian invasion. However, he continued to criticise his leadership regarding the handling of the war. “I don’t hold Zelenskyy responsible but I’m not exactly thrilled with the fact that that war started,” Trump told reporters at the White House during a joint press conference with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. “I’m not blaming him, but what I am saying is that I wouldn’t say he’s done the greatest job, OK? I am not a big fan.”

This comes days after Trump accused Ukraine of starting the war and blamed Zelenskyy for “millions” of deaths. The Ukrainian leader had earlier this week invited Trump to visit Ukraine to witness the destruction firsthand, during an interview with CBS. In response, Trump issued threats against the broadcaster.

Meanwhile, Trump said a long-delayed minerals agreement with Ukraine was likely to be signed next Thursday. “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,” he said.

Kyiv and Washington had previously been close to finalising the agreement, but a heated clash in February between Trump, Zelenskyy and US Vice President JD Vance at the White House had stalled progress.

Ukraine’s economy minister Yulia Svyrydenko confirmed on X that a “Memorandum of Intent” had been signed with Washington for an “Investment Fund for the Reconstruction of Ukraine.” While she offered no details, Svyrydenko said the memorandum marked significant progress. “There is a lot to do, but the current pace and significant progress give reason to expect that the document will be very beneficial for both countries,” she wrote.

According to The New York Times, the memorandum, signed via video call with US treasury secretary Scott Bessent, fell short of a full minerals agreement. Bessent said a final deal was expected by April 26 and noted the deal could allow the US to earn up to $500 billion through access to Ukraine’s rare earth resources.

Trump has framed the agreement as repayment for military assistance sent by the Biden administration.
Earlier drafts of the deal reportedly included plans to redirect a portion of Ukraine’s resource revenues to fund postwar reconstruction, a clause critics have described as exploitative. The document signed on Thursday omitted such specifics, as well as references to US security guarantees.