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After two weeks of tensions and negotiations, Kyiv and Washington have agreed on a draft agreement on the revenue from the exploitation of Ukrainian natural resources. The document is only the first step towards a global agreement, but President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Washington on Friday, February 28, has been confirmed. He is expected to meet his American counterpart to sign the document and, he hopes, to improve relations. The most important thing for Ukraine is to get closer to the American president, who is making a diplomatic U-turn towards Russia with the aim of bringing a swift end to the war, even if it means sidelining Kyiv.
This first agreement is a victory for Donald Trump, allowing him to present himself to his electorate as a good negotiator. For Zelensky, whose country remains extremely dependent on American support, the challenge is to convince the American president not to abandon Ukraine. Kyiv's refusal to sign an initial version of the agreement, which was terribly prejudicial and lacked security promises, provoked Trump's fury. He accused Zelensky of being a "dictator without elections," calling into question his legitimacy. Zelensky "better move fast, or he won't have a country left," he asserted in an acidic, misinformation-laden message on social media on February 19.
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