UKRAINIAN president Volodymyr Zelensky meet with US President Donald Trump in Washington today as the Star went to press.

The meeting comes at a pivotal moment for his country, one that hinges on whether Mr Zelensky can persuade President Trump to provide continued military support or a security guarantee of any peace deal with Russia should the latter breach terms.

Mr Zelensky is expected to sign an agreement drawn up by the United States providing it with extensive rights over Ukraine’s mineral and fossil fuel resources.

According to the preliminary economic agreement, the US and Ukraine will establish a co-owned, jointly managed investment fund to which Ukraine will hand over 50 per cent of future revenues from natural resources, including minerals, hydrocarbons and other extractable materials.

A more detailed agreement on establishing the fund will be drawn up once the preliminary one is signed.

President Trump has framed the emerging deal as a chance for Kiev to compensate the US for wartime aid sent under Democratic President Joe Biden.

But Mr Zelensky says he is holding out for specific assurances on Ukraine’s security before any agreement giving US access to Ukraine’s resources. 

On Wednesday, he said the agreement “may be part of future security guarantees, but I want to understand the broader vision. What awaits Ukraine?”

President Zelensky has been vague on exactly what kinds of security guarantees would be suitable for his country, but he has continued to push for eventual membership of Nato.

But President Trump on Wednesday said Ukraine “could forget about” joining the Western military alliance.

Mr Trump has remained non-committal about any US security guarantees.

“I’m not going to make security guarantees very much,” he told reporters this week. “We’re going to have Europe do that.”

The Ukrainian president is also trying to get support for using Russia’s frozen assets to purchase weapons — something likely to block any potential peace deal. 

Some fear that President Trump could broker a peace deal with Russia that is unfavourable to Ukraine.

European Nato members have also complained about being excluded from negotiations by the US.

President Trump held a lengthy phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin and US officials met with their Russian counterparts in Saudi Arabia without inviting European or Ukrainian leaders.