Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview published Tuesday that Ukraine is ready to offer a land swap with Russia as part of possible peace negotiations to end the nearly three-year war between them.
"We will exchange territory for territory," Zelensky said in an interview with the British newspaper The Guardian, adding that he could offer to hand over to Moscow the territory that Ukraine has controlled in the Kursk region for six months.
On the other hand, US President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday - via his social media platform Truth Social - that Treasury Secretary Scott Besant will soon travel to Ukraine where he will meet with Zelensky.
"This war must end and it will end quickly. Too much death and destruction. The United States has spent billions of dollars with little results," Trump wrote, without specifying the date or length of Besant's visit.
After announcing his quest to end the war between Russia and Ukraine, Trump confirmed - in an interview with Fox News on Monday - that Ukraine might become "Russian one day," demanding compensation for the assistance Washington has provided to Kiev so far.
He also explained that he had demanded from Kiev the equivalent of $500 billion in rare metals, especially metals used in electronics.
While Trump is pushing for a quick end to the conflict, Zelensky is calling for strict security guarantees from Washington to be part of any deal with Russia.
Last week, Zelensky confirmed his country's readiness to receive "investments from American companies" in its precious metals, but he explained that part of these resources are located in the occupied region.
Trump also confirmed on Monday that he would send his special envoy, Keith Kellogg, to Ukraine, tasked with preparing a proposal to stop the fighting.
Kellogg is expected to arrive in Ukraine on February 20, according to a source in Zelensky's office.