(NewsNation) — President Donald Trump will meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday after calling his Ukrainian counterpart a “dictator without elections” last week.
Zelenskyy, who recently said Trump is living in a Russian-made “disinformation space,” is expected to sign a deal in which Ukraine will send revenue from its rare mineral resources to a fund jointly controlled by the United States. Trump has said this is a way for Kyiv to repay the U.S. for aid during its war with Russia.
Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council, said in an interview that the rare minerals deal could bring in more than $20 billion to the U.S., which could help pay down the deficit.
However, Zelenskyy wants to see security guarantees in the deal. In a Wednesday evening address, he said, “It’s important that the United States’ support is not stopped.”
“Strength is needed on the path to peace,” Zelenskyy said.
When asked Thursday about his relationship with Zelenskyy, Trump softened his rhetoric.
“We have a lot of respect, I have a lot of respect for him,” Trump said. “We’ve given him a lot of equipment and a lot of money, but they have fought very bravely.”
When pressed by a reporter about whether he would apologize for calling Zelenskyy a dictator, Trump responded: “Did I say that? I can’t believe I said that. Next question.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
