DONALD Trump is reportedly not currently planning to sign a minerals deal with Ukraine today, a top US official revealed.
Reports from The White House earlier suggested the US President was ready to sign the controversial “rare earths” deal and announce the huge political move during his address to Congress.
However, his US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News on Tuesday there was “no signing planned”.
It comes after the US President paused military aid to the country on Tuesday night – cutting Ukraine off from its single biggest benefactor.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has since been urged to seize Russian assets to fund the Ukraine war effort – as the Defence secretary jets to the US for urgent talks.
The British government is having to consider “all options” to seize frozen Russian assets after former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak urged stronger action to support Ukraine.
Mr Sunak warned that the US decision to pause military aid to Kyiv underscored the need for Europe to find “considerably more resources” to assist Ukraine.
Speaking in the House of Commons, he argued: “Events overnight make it even clearer that Europe must find considerably more resources for Ukraine.
“The Chancellor (Rachel Reeves) has rightly continued our policy of using the interest on frozen Russian state assets to benefit Ukraine, but I believe now is the moment to go further and to actually seize those assets.
“Russia’s invasion of Ukraine violates the principle of sovereign equality providing a basis in international law for this and by acting in concert with our allies we can ensure there are no risks to financial stability.
“So can I urge the Chancellor to push for co-ordinated action to seize those frozen Russian state assets, give that money to the Ukrainians so that they can defend their country and rebuild it too?”
Chancellor Rachel Reeves acknowledged the complexity of such a move but stressed that Russia must be held accountable.
“As the Prime Minister said yesterday, we would look at going further but as (Mr Sunak) knows it is incredibly complicated to do that in line with international law, but we keep all options on the table because (Mr Sunak) is absolutely right, Russia should pay for the damage that Russia has caused,” she said.
The call to seize frozen Russian assets, estimated at around $300 billion across Europe, comes as Germany and France explore ways to use €200 billion (£165 billion) of those funds as leverage in ceasefire negotiations.
Meanwhile Defence Secretary John Healey is expected to visit the US later on this week for crunch talks with his counterpart, Pete Hegseth.
[bc_video account_id=”5067014667001″ application_id=”” aspect_ratio=”16:9″ autoplay=”” caption=”Trump pauses ALL military aid to Ukraine after White House clash with Zelensky & accuses him ‘worst statement possible’” embed=”in-page” experience_id=”” height=”100%” language_detection=”” max_height=”360px” max_width=”640px” min_width=”0px” mute=”” padding_top=”56%” picture_in_picture=”” player_id=”default” playlist_id=”” playsinline=”” sizing=”responsive” video_id=”6369574152112″ video_ids=”” width=”640px”]Late on Monday, Foreign Secretary David Lammy said he had a “good” phone conversation with US secretary of state Marco Rubio, having juggled discussions on both Ukraine and the ceasefire in Gaza.
He posted on X: “The UK-US alliance is critical for global security.
“We are working together to deliver enduring peace in Ukraine and to ensure the ceasefire in Gaza is sustained.”
Meanwhile Volodymyr Zelensky has said he is ready to work “under Donald Trump” and shared that he “regrets” his brutal Oval Office row with the President.
The brave Ukrainian leader has also shared how he thinks fighting with Russia could come to an end and the sides could reach the negotiating table.
Zelensky said on Tuesday afternoon in a post on social media that he is willing to work “under President Trump’s strong leadership to get a peace that lasts”.
He said: “None of us wants an endless war. Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer.”
Zelensky appears to have bent to Trump’s will – who has demanded that Kyiv follow his lead on getting to peace.
It follows the two leaders’ shouting match in the Oval Office on Friday where Trump told Zelensky he was “gambling with World War Three” before booting him out.
In the post, Zelensky addressed the meeting directly saying it was “regrettable” how it happrned.
He said: “Our meeting in Washington, at the White House on Friday, did not go the way it was supposed to be.”
Zelensky continued: “We do really value how much America has done to help Ukraine maintain its sovereignty and independence.
“And we remember the moment when things changed when President Trump provided Ukraine with Javelins. We are grateful for this.”
The Ukrainian also laid out his own plan to get to a ceasefire and get the parties to the negotiating table.
He said: “We are ready to work fast to end the war, and the first stages could be the release of prisoners and truce in the sky — ban on missiles, long-ranged drones, bombs on energy and other civilian infrastructure — and truce in the sea immediately, if Russia will do the same.
“Then we want to move very fast through all next stages and to work with the US to agree a strong final deal.”
Europe announced a massive rearmament package to build up its armies and to support Kyiv.
The EU is preparing to allow its 27 member states to spend another 800bn Euros of additional defence spending.
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen declared in Brussels on Tuesday: “a new era is upon us”.
She said: “Europe faces a clear and present danger on a scale that none of us has seen in our adult lifetime.”
Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Goncharenko has begged Zelensky to apologise to Trump following their Oval Office bust up on Friday.
He said Trump’s decision was “catastrophic” and Zelensky needed to do “everything he can in order to get out of this”.
Trump has continued to slam Zelensky, saying on Monday he needed to be “more appreciative” for US support.
The President also revealed the “great deal” is still on the table after it was never inked when Trump booted Zelensky out of the White House.
On Monday, Sir Keir Starmer said the minerals deal was not enough of a security guarantee on its own for Kyiv.
He told Parliament that the US still needed to provide a backstop to any European force of peacekeepers in the country.
Sir Keir told MPs Britain needs to “lead from the front” and that the European “coalition of the willing” has been formed to avoid moving “at the speed of the most reluctant and that will be too slow”.
Meanwhile the Kremlin is crowing that the “West is falling apart” as it celebrates the “fragmentation” of the Nato alliance.
Moscow‘s victory lap comes as a Russian missile blitz on a Ukrainian training base has killed dozens.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov accused Zelensky of having “no diplomatic abilities whatsoever” following the White House shouting row.
Peskov slammed Zelensky as a blind man who was failing to “accept the realities on the ground”.
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