White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Saturday the president is confident in his ability to strike a deal with Russia to end the conflict in Ukraine, suggesting an end to the three-year-long war could come as early as this week.
“The president, his team are very much focused on continuing negotiations with both sides of this war to end the conflict and the president is very confident we can get it done this week,” Leavitt told reporters on the South Lawn after returning from the Conservative Political Action Conference.
The comments come as President Trump suggested Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky “has no cards” and should sit out conversations with international leaders involving peace negotiations going forward.
Leavitt mentioned that National Security Advisor Matt Waltz would be working “around the clock” this weekend on a deal and shared that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has been involved in discussions surrounding a proposed deal with the Ukrainians to harness raw minerals.
“When it comes to the critical minerals, this is an important piece for the president. It’s very important for the president, because it will recoup American tax dollars,” Leavitt stated.
“And it also will be a great economic partnership between the United States of America and for the Ukrainian people as well as they rebuild their country following this brutal war.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio proclaimed the venture would yield $200 million in funds and add a “vested” security interest in Ukraine pending legislative approval. The State Department said the U.S. has provided $65.9 billion in military assistance to Ukraine since the start of the war.