NEW YORK, February 23. /TASS/. US Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff has said that Washington expects to sign a minerals deal with Ukraine next week.

"I expect to see a deal signed this week. You saw President (Volodymyr) Zelensky waver in his commitment towards that a week ago. The president sent a message to him, he's not wavering anymore," Witkoff told CNN.

According to Witkoff, the deal is geared to recover what the US has spent on aid to Ukraine.

Zelensky, in his words, Zelensky "realizes that we have done so much, and that that agreement belongs being signed."

Trump said on Saturday that the US was close to concluding the deal. He also expressed confidence that Washington would be able to recover the funds spent on aid to Ukraine.

In early February, US President Donald Trump said America is interested in obtaining rare-earth metals from Ukraine. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent gave Vladimir Zelensky the proposed US mineral deal on February 12. Zelensky did not sign the agreement either during his meeting with Bessent or later in Munich at a meeting with US Vice President JD, even though he previously indicated he was willing to do so. Zelensky insisted the deal has no security guarantees for Ukraine. The country proposed amendments, but the American team in Munich rejected them. Zelensky’s failure to sign the accord caused US-Ukraine ties to deteriorate.