WASHINGTON — (AP) — President Donald Trump said Monday that he was hopeful the United States and Ukraine will soon come to terms on a rare earth minerals deal after he met with fellow Group of Seven leaders for a virtual session on the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Trump was joined at the White House by French President Emmanuel Macron for the meeting, and the two leaders were holding bilateral talks to discuss the situation in Ukraine. The talks come at a moment of deep uncertainty about the future of transatlantic relations, with Trump transforming American foreign policy and effectively tuning out European leadership as he looks to quickly end the war in Ukraine.
But Trump, a Republican, expressed optimism that the White House and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy are nearing a deal that would give the U.S. access to Ukraine’s critical minerals to help repay the U.S. for more than $180 billion in American …