Reuters: Trump may try to strike simplified subsoil deal with Ukraine

US President Donald Trump’s administration may try to conclude a simplified minerals deal with Ukraine to speed up the process and then discuss detailed terms.

As reported by Reuters, this information emerged after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected a proposal last week that would have seen the US receive 50% of Ukraine’s critical minerals.

Reuter's sources said this shows that reaching a full agreement will take time.

When asked whether the US side would continue to push for a deal, a Trump team member, who spoke anonymously, said: "Absolutely, we need to get this guy (Volodymyr Zelenskyy – ed.) back to reality."

The sources said it is important for Trump to be able to publicly tell the American people that the US is recouping the money for the assistance it has provided.

Another source familiar with the matter said that Ukraine is ready to make a deal with the Trump administration.

The other source also said that Kyiv is ready to make a deal but that it should not look as "rapacious" as the deal first proposed by the US.

The details of the US discussions on a potential deal, including those in the administration who helped draft the original proposal, are unknown.

The revised approach is just one of several being discussed in the White House on how to reach a deal with Kyiv in the coming weeks, which is unusually fast.

Reuters said the revised, simplified approach would help the United States bypass numerous legal and logistical hurdles and give it time to negotiate the details of the deal, including revenue sharing, later.

Trump has recently criticised Zelenskyy for refusing to sign an agreement on developing Ukrainian minerals.

US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz also linked a number of Trump's harsh statements about Ukraine to his refusal to sign the deal.

Read also: Trump's billion-dollar bargain: how the US pressured Ukraine and why the deal collapsed