MOSCOW, Feb 26, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - The Kremlin said Wednesday that it was still waiting for official confirmation the United States and Ukraine had agreed on the terms of a landmark minerals deal.

US President Donald Trump had demanded Ukraine give access to its strategic minerals to compensate for the billions of dollars of military and other aid it received under Joe Biden.

A senior Ukrainian official told AFP late Tuesday that Kyiv had agreed on the framework of the deal, and that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky could sign it on Friday in Washington.

"So far there are no official statements on this matter. We have only heard that Zelensky seemed to be going to Washington on Friday," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

"There will probably be attempts to make this visit somewhat substantive," he added.

Ukraine hopes the deal will improve relations with the Trump administration, which have soured amid a war of words between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Kyiv also wants security guarantees, though the current draft of the deal does not place any specific security commitments on the United States, according to a senior Ukrainian official.

Moscow has also touted the possibility of US investment in strategic minerals found in Russia and in parts of Ukraine under the control of Russian troops.