Trump on Ukraine's demand: "They can forget about it"

- You can forget about NATO - Donald Trump said, responding to a question about concessions that Ukraine may be forced to make to Russia. The American president emphasized that Europe should take on the burden of providing Ukraine with security guarantees.

When asked whether Ukraine's concessions to Russia would be necessary, Trump answered affirmatively .

He declined to name them, but added: " I can tell you that (it's about) NATO - you can forget about that. I think that was probably the reason why all this (war - ed.) started."

Trump, when asked about what security guarantees the US could offer, assessed that it would not be "too much" because Europe should take care of it.

"Europe is a neighbor, but we will make sure that everything goes well, " Trump said, supporting the idea of ​​Britain and France sending "so-called peacekeeping forces."

He added that the U.S. would support Europe in this matter , but declined to specify how.

SEE: Ukraine Announces Breakthrough on Rare Earth Metals Deal with US

At the same time, he assessed that the agreement on raw materials itself would guarantee Ukraine's security.

- We will work there. We will be on that land . (...) it is just an automatic safeguard, because nobody will play with us when we are there. So we will be there in that way. But Europe will be watching it very closely - Trump assured.

Trump said Tuesday during a news conference that President Zelensky is expected to come to Washington on Friday to sign a deal on rare earth metals mining in Ukraine.

- I heard he's coming on Friday, I certainly wouldn't mind if he wanted to sign it with me - said the US president.

His statement came hours after the British daily Financial Times reported that Ukraine had agreed to the terms of the agreement. As reported by the FT, Washington has dropped its most stringent demands on Kiev , including the right to $500 billion in potential revenue from the exploitation of these mineral resources.

SEE: European troops in Ukraine? Lavrov denies Trump's words

The new text of the agreement is supposed to say that the money will be used for investments in Ukraine . This is also supposed to be only a preliminary agreement. More detailed terms will be negotiated as part of the next agreement.

On Wednesday, Volodymyr Zelensky said that during his visit to Washington he would ask Donald Trump directly whether he intended to suspend military aid to Kiev .

- The draft agreement with the US does not include a debt of $350 billion, we are not debtors - he said, referring to the details of the agreement.