“We’ll be signing a historic agreement that will make the United States a major partner in developing Ukraine’s minerals and rare earths and oil and gases,” Trump said of the “economic partnership” he is pushing for to help offset the cost to U.S. taxpayers of arming Ukraine and other assistance to fend off Russia’s invasion over the past three years.

“And we have a great understanding. I think it’s going to be great for Ukraine.”

Much of Ukraine’s vast reserves of iron ore, titanium and manganese, as well as rare earth minerals such as lithium and graphite used to make EV batteries, that Trump wants to power the U.S. economy are located in areas of the country occupied or annexed by Russia, according to U.S. officials.

Trump said the agreement would form the basis for a more “sustainable future relationship” between the two countries, thereby helping deliver the long-term prosperity the Ukrainians need if they are to rebuild their war-ravaged country.

However, while only final details remain to be ironed out, Zelensky has made it clear that in return he wants a security guarantee against future Russian aggression which could come from Ukraine’s European partners, but would still require U.S. involvement, largely for its deterrent effect.

The BBC reported that Zelensky will be pushing for those guarantees when he meets with Trump, but ahead of his arrival Trump reiterated that the presence of U.S. businesses and contractors on Ukrainian soil would be a sufficient deterrent and that anything “very much beyond” that should be the responsibility of Europe.

Trump also doubled down on his opposition to Ukraine joining NATO saying it was “never going to happen.”

Zelensky and Trump clashed after Zelensky initially rejected the plan saying Ukraine wasn’t for sale and then insisted it must come with security guarantees, but relations between the two men have been strained ever since Ukraine was left out of direct U.S.-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 18.

The row escalated into a full-blown spat played out in public view, with Trump accusing Zelensky of being a “dictator without elections” and Zelensky retorting that Trump was living in “a disinformation bubble” concocted by Russia.

However, ahead of their meeting, Trump rowed back from his attack querying whether he used the “dictator” slur, heaped praise on Zelensky, calling him “very brave,” and insisted they got on “really well.”