Trump to Negotiate Peace Agreement... "Ukraine's Security is Europe's Responsibility"

Trump: "Ukraine's Security Guarantee is Europe's Responsibility, Not America's"

Economic Framework Agreement, Development of Rare Earth and Mineral Resources

U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are scheduled to hold a summit to negotiate the end of the Ukraine war and economic cooperation between the two countries. President Trump's 'peace diplomacy' is expected to enter a crucial phase with this summit.

President Trump said during a press conference after meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the White House on the 27th (local time) that his meeting with President Zelensky will be held at 11 a.m. on the 28th, adding, "We will have a very good meeting." This meeting is the first face-to-face encounter between the two leaders since Trump began his second term.

Peace diplomacy began in earnest starting with President Trump's call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the 12th. This summit has the significance of finalizing the first round of consensus-building within the anti-Russia camp.

As the Trump administration began peace negotiations, it effectively declared that a 'complete restoration' of Ukrainian territory seized by Russia since 2014 is impossible. It also stated that Ukraine cannot join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). By engaging in high-level dialogue with Russia (on the 18th in Saudi Arabia) without Ukraine and Europe, it also provoked backlash from Ukraine and Europe.

For President Trump, the summit with the Ukrainian president, following meetings with France and the UK, is a diplomatic stage to alleviate concerns about 'bypassing' Ukraine and Europe, and to create a framework for peace negotiations to 'push and pull' with President Putin.

President Trump is expected to confirm the 'Maginot Line' and 'red line' of the anti-Russia camp through consultations with President Zelensky, the leader of a warring nation. Attention is focused on whether the balance of interests between the two countries regarding security and economy will be reflected in the so-called 'mineral agreement' that Presidents Trump and Zelensky will sign during the summit.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a media interview on the 27th that the agreement, which he called an 'economic framework agreement,' "targets strategic minerals, oil and gas, and infrastructure assets," and added that the Ukrainian government has already approved the content of the agreement. The agreement is expected to include provisions for the United States and Ukraine to jointly develop Ukraine's mineral resources, including rare earths, and then reinvest in a joint fund between the two countries.

Regarding security guarantees, foreign media reported that the agreement will include language stating that "(the U.S.) supports Ukraine's efforts to obtain the security guarantees necessary to build lasting peace." It is expected to reflect President Trump's position that Europe, not the United States, should provide security guarantees to Ukraine, and that the entry of American workers into Ukraine for joint mineral development would itself serve as a security mechanism.

Park Soo-bin, Hankyung.com reporter waterbean@hankyung.com