Trump and Zelensky may sign an agreement on the restoration of Ukraine worth $800 billion during their meeting
10 January 15:04
The presidents of Ukraine and the United States, Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump, may sign an agreement on “prosperity” and post-war reconstruction of Ukraine worth about $800 billion during the World Economic Forum in Davos, which will be held from January 19 to 23.
This was reported by The Telegraph, citing informed sources, according to "Komersant Ukrainian".
According to the publication, Zelensky initially hoped to visit the White House next week to finalize discussions on both the economic plan and the agreement on post-war security guarantees. However, Ukraine’s European allies from the “coalition of the determined” dissuaded him from traveling to Washington and suggested that he meet with Trump at the World Economic Forum.
Sources at The Telegraph claim that EU officials urged Zelensky not to rush into talks with the US president. Brussels believes that at this stage, Trump generally supports the European allies’ desire to end the war on terms that would be favorable to Kyiv.
The “prosperity” plan in question involves investing around $800 billion over ten years to rebuild Ukraine and restart its economy. According to the publication, Kyiv expects that the US proposal to participate in post-war reconstruction, primarily in projects that may be of interest to Trump, will increase Washington’s willingness to provide Ukraine with reliable security guarantees.
According to The Telegraph, the basis of the potential agreement is a mineral resources agreement that would give American investors preferential access to future mining projects in Ukraine. Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff called the agreement a key element of a broader package of measures to achieve a ceasefire.
Against this backdrop, Volodymyr Zelensky said he was discussing with the US the possibility of concluding a zero-tariff free trade agreement, which could be part of a large-scale plan for Ukraine’s economic recovery. In an interview with Bloomberg, he noted that the proposed model provides for the abolition of customs duties in trade with the United States and could be extended to certain industrially developed regions of the country.
According to Zelensky, this format would give Kyiv “very serious advantages” over neighboring countries and could attract foreign investment and business. He also stressed that such an agreement could become an additional guarantee of economic security, adding that he intends to discuss the details of the initiative directly with Donald Trump.
The Ukrainian president confirmed plans to meet with the American leader either in the US or in Davos. In addition, he said that Kyiv is considering Washington’s proposal to create a local free economic zone along the potential demarcation line after a possible ceasefire. Zelensky described this option as a complex but “fair” format, which, according to him, could be a compromise solution and allow normal life to be established in certain areas of Donbas.
