Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed readiness to sign a minerals deal with the United States, but significant hurdles remain.
"The agreement that's on the table will be signed if the parties are ready," Zelenskyy told a late-night huddle with some UK media after a landmark summit in London.
The deal, which was supposed to be a step towards helping to end the conflict in Ukraine, fell through on Friday after a televised Oval Office clash.
Zelenskyy had traveled to Washington for a full White House visit on Friday to sign a U.S.-Ukraine deal for the joint exploitation of Ukraine's vast mineral resources, as part of a post-conflict recovery in a U.S.-brokered peace deal.
But in their Oval Office meeting, Trump berated Zelenskyy, telling him to be more "thankful" for U.S. support in the three-year conflict and that without U.S. assistance Ukraine would have been conquered by Russia.
The proposal was to give Washington financial benefits for helping Ukraine in a truce, even if Trump has repeatedly refused to commit any U.S. military force as a back-up to European troops who might act as peacekeepers.
Zhao Huirong, a research fellow at the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told CGTN that Ukraine sees NATO membership as the ultimate security guarantee, but given Trump's strategy of maximum pressure, Ukraine has been forced to lower its expectations.
Zhao explained that instead of NATO membership, Kyiv is now seeking security assurances in the form of military aid, which could include training for military personnel, supplies of weapons and ammunition, and even the production of arms within Ukraine.
After the heated exchange, Zelenskyy drove off in his motorcade shortly after having been asked to leave, without holding a planned joint press conference. The resources deal was left unsigned.
Challenges for mineral deal and peace agreement
Zhao Huirong said there are still multiple challenges for the U.S. and Ukraine in reaching a mineral agreement.
"Besides differences over security guarantees, Europe has also expressed interest in mineral cooperation with Ukraine, creating a competitive dynamic between Europe and the U.S.," said Zhao. She also pointed to the uncertainties regarding Ukraine's actual mineral reserves, the cost and complexity of mineral extraction.
Ukraine's allies rallied around Zelenskyy on Sunday at a summit hosted by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer who said many European leaders had pledged to spend more on security and assemble a coalition to defend any truce.
Zhao analyzed that Ukraine will strengthen its engagement with European countries before resuming talks with the U.S., but given its weak battlefield position, it will continue seeking U.S. support to avoid greater losses in future negotiations.
Given the continued U.S. pressure and efforts to push for a ceasefire, the expert predicted that there is a possibility that Russia and Ukraine could reach a truce within the next six months to a year.
French President Emmanuel Macron, flying back from the London summit, said in a newspaper interview that France and Britain wanted to propose a partial one-month truce with Russia.
On Sunday's meeting, Zelenskyy reiterated that Ukraine would not concede any territory to Russia as part of a peace deal.
"Such a ceasefire is unlikely to lead to a permanent peace agreement as territorial disputes between Russia and Ukraine will remain unresolved, with both sides likely presenting their own interpretations of the territorial status quo," Zhao said.
(With input from agencies)