Zelensky says still "ready to sign" minerals deal with U.S.

LONDON, March 3 (Xinhua) -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday that he is still "ready to sign" a minerals deal with the United States.

Despite a fractious meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump last week, he is still willing to have a "constructive dialogue" with the United States, Zelensky told BBC following a summit with Western leaders in London.

Zelensky's statement came after his meeting with Trump on Friday turned into a heated exchange, leading to the cancellation of an anticipated bilateral raw materials agreement.

The draft deal, as U.S. media reported, included the establishment of a fund to be jointly owned by Ukraine and the United States, to which Ukraine will contribute 50 percent of its revenues from the future monetization of natural resources, including critical minerals, oil and gas.

After the Sunday summit, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that leaders at the summit had agreed on a four-step plan to guarantee peace in Ukraine and that Britain will allow Ukraine to use 1.6 billion pounds (2 billion U.S. dollars) of British export finance to purchase more than 5,000 air defense missiles.