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White House National Security Adviser, Mike Waltz, said on Friday that he expects Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to sign a minerals agreement with the United States as part of efforts to end the Ukraine war, while former President Donald Trump claimed that Kyiv has no leverage in negotiations.

According to Zelensky’s office, the Ukrainian president’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, discussed aligning positions in bilateral relations during a call with Waltz on Friday, following sharp exchanges between Trump and Zelensky.

Trump had labelled Zelensky a dictator on Wednesday, warning that he must act swiftly to secure peace with Russia or risk losing his country.

The sudden shift in tone from the United States, Ukraine’s most crucial backer, has alarmed European officials, raising concerns that Kyiv could be pressured into a peace deal favouring Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Zelensky initially accused Trump of being trapped in a disinformation bubble but later softened his stance, expressing hope for American pragmatism.

On Wednesday, the Ukrainian leader rejected US demands for $500 billion in mineral wealth from Ukraine as repayment for wartime aid, arguing that the United States had not supplied anywhere near that amount and had failed to offer specific security guarantees in the agreement.

During the call with Waltz, Yermak emphasised the importance of maintaining bilateral cooperation and strengthening Ukraine–US relations.

A few hours later, Waltz told the Conservative Political Action Conference on the outskirts of Washington that Zelensky was set to sign the deal, adding that it would happen in the short term.