President Zelenskyy arrives in the U.S.: Visit agenda details

The details of the visit were announced by the Ukrainian President's Office

At 4:30 p.m. Kyiv time (9:30 a.m. Washington time), President Zelenskyy will meet with U.S. senators.

At 6:00 p.m., he is scheduled to attend a formal meeting with Donald Trump, followed by a working lunch and the signing of a bilateral agreement at 8:00 p.m. Kyiv time.

According to the BBC, later that night (around 12:00 a.m. Kyiv time), Zelenskyy will meet with representatives of the Ukrainian community before departing for the UK. There, he will meet with Prime Minister Keir Starmer and EU leaders over the weekend.

Earlier, FlightAware reported that Zelenskyy's plane had landed in the United States. His presidential A319 flew from Shannon Airport in Ireland to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, completing the journey in 8 hours and 2 minutes. The aircraft landed at 5:59 p.m. local time (12:59 a.m. Kyiv time).

Read also: Kyiv, Washington still working on mineral agreement: will deal be signed today?

Exchange of Ukrainian rare earths for US aid: What’s known

Earlier, US President Donald Trump expressed interest in a deal with Ukraine to exchange rare earth elements for US aid. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz criticized this proposal.

Previously, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that he wants to negotiate with Ukraine on exchanging rare earth elements for U.S. assistance. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz condemned the American leader’s proposal.

Ukrainian MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak suggested that Trump's statement about exchanging Ukrainian rare earth elements for aid was intended for the American audience.

Lieutenant Colonel with the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Deputy Commander of the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade Maksym Zhorin, also shared his opinion. The military officer is convinced that it is crucial not to allow "all resources to be completely depleted."

On Tuesday, February 4, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy assured that Ukraine is open to American investments.

On February 12, Zelenskyy held a meeting in Kyiv with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Ukraine received the first draft of a partnership agreement from the United States.

The Trump administration proposed that Ukraine grant the U.S. 50% ownership of rare earth minerals and allow U.S. troops to be stationed in the country to protect them, in return for a peace agreement with Russia to end the war.

On February 16, reports emerged that the United States is pushing for greater control over a wider range of Ukraine’s resources, including strategic materials such as lithium, graphite, and uranium—sometimes mistakenly classified as rare earth minerals.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed his expectation for "some level of appreciation" regarding U.S. concerns and criticized President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for inconsistency in negotiations over the minerals deal.

On February 21, Bloomberg reported that the U.S. and Ukraine aimed to finalize the agreement by the end of the week.

On February 26, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced that both countries had effectively completed the final version of the agreement, titled the Agreement on the Establishment of Rules and Conditions for the Investment Fund for the Reconstruction of Ukraine.

Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers has authorized either Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko or Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha to sign the agreement with the United States on establishing the rules and conditions of the Investment Fund for Reconstruction.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed a meeting with Donald Trump on Friday, February 28, to sign a framework agreement on natural resources.