US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday evening that his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky is ready to sign a rare earth metals agreement with the United States.

This came in his address to the American people in Congress, where he delivered the longest speech in congressional history, in which he addressed the war between Russia and Ukraine.

He announced that he had received a letter from Zelensky confirming Ukraine’s readiness to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible ‘under the strong leadership of President Trump to achieve lasting peace’.

The meeting between Trump and Zelensky at the White House witnessed a tense atmosphere, as the two leaders engaged in a heated debate in front of the cameras.

After the argument, the joint press conference was cancelled, and Zelensky left the White House without signing an agreement on rare earth minerals, which Trump is demanding for the US support of Ukraine during the war with Russia.