Today's News: Trump-Zelensky Meeting and Peace Talks with Russia
President Donald Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House to discuss the ongoing war with Russia and a proposed minerals deal.
Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post
Overview
Date: February 28, 2025
Topic: Trump-Zelensky Meeting, U.S.-Ukraine Minerals Deal, and Peace Talks with Russia
Summary: President Donald Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House amid contentious discussions about the ongoing war with Russia and a proposed minerals deal granting the U.S. partial access to Ukraine’s rare-earth resources. Trump rebuked Zelensky during their meeting, accusing Ukraine of lacking gratitude for U.S. aid and pressuring him to negotiate a peace deal with Russia. The meeting comes after weeks of uncertainty regarding Trump’s support for Ukraine, with shifting rhetoric and negotiations between the U.S. and Russia excluding Ukraine. European leaders, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron, have urged Trump to ensure any peace deal includes security guarantees for Ukraine. Trump, however, has dismissed Ukraine’s NATO aspirations, offering economic ties with the U.S. as an alternative security measure. Meanwhile, reports suggest Russia proposed a similar minerals deal involving occupied Ukrainian territories, raising concerns about potential compromises.
Sources
The New York Times – Trump Administration Live Updates: Trump and Vance Rebuke Zelensky During Testy White House Meeting
CNN – How Zelensky Learned the Art of the Deal and Got to Visit Trump
NBC News – Zelenskyy to Meet with Trump at the White House Amid Peace Talk Efforts and Possible Minerals Deal
Fox News – Trump, Zelenskyy to Meet for Key Deal as NATO Allies, Russia Wait, Watch
The Washington Post – Live Updates: White House Meeting Between Trump and Zelensky Turns Contentious
Wall Street Journal – Zelensky Calls on Trump to Support Ukraine Against Russian Aggression
Key Points
Trump and Zelensky engaged in a tense Oval Office exchange, with Trump pressing Zelensky to negotiate peace with Russia.
The U.S. and Ukraine moved closer to a minerals deal, granting the U.S. a stake in Ukraine’s rare-earth resources.
Trump dismissed Ukraine’s NATO ambitions, suggesting economic ties with the U.S. provide "automatic security" guarantees.
European leaders, including Starmer and Macron, urged Trump to ensure any peace deal does not reward Russian aggression.
Russia reportedly proposed a similar minerals deal involving occupied Ukrainian regions, complicating negotiations.
Unique Highlights
The New York Times: Trump and Vice President JD Vance accused Zelensky of being "disrespectful" for making his case publicly, warning him against "gambling with World War III."
CNN: Zelensky initially refused to sign the minerals deal, comparing it to colonial exploitation, but later revised terms to secure a potential security arrangement.
NBC News: Russian state media outlet TASS was present at the Oval Office meeting before being escorted out, raising concerns about Moscow’s involvement.
Fox News: Trump argued that the U.S. presence in Ukraine’s mining sector would serve as a deterrent against future Russian aggression.
The Washington Post: The White House meeting turned confrontational, with Trump cutting Zelensky off and telling him he had "done a lot of talking."
Wall Street Journal: Zelensky emphasized that Ukraine needs concrete security guarantees beyond economic investments.
Contrasting Details
On U.S. Support for Ukraine: The New York Times and Washington Post emphasized Trump’s confrontational stance toward Zelensky, while Fox News and CNN framed the minerals deal as a pathway to securing continued U.S. backing.
On the Minerals Deal: CNN reported that Zelensky resisted the deal’s initial terms, whereas Fox News highlighted Trump’s claim that U.S. investment in Ukraine’s mineral industry would ensure its security.
On Russia’s Role: The Wall Street Journal noted that Russia proposed a minerals deal involving occupied Ukrainian territories, while NBC News reported that Russian media gained unauthorized access to the White House meeting.
On NATO Membership: Fox News suggested that Trump sees economic ties as a security guarantee, while CNN and NBC News reported that Zelensky remains focused on NATO or equivalent security arrangements.
The Newsie Project is an experiment using AI tools to survey contemporary reporting. It attempts to summarize, compare, and contrast the reporting of the major US online news sources.
This is an evolving project. Tools, approaches, and output formats will change over time. The Newsie Project does not attempt to provide a definitive capsule of any news story. While the incidence of errors in these summaries is low, and I attempt to spot-check details, AI tools can hallucinate. Please click through and read the articles for details (some may be paywalled).