KYIV — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Wednesday that it was “a very good signal” that President Trump is meeting with him in person before any face-to-face sitdown with Russian President Vladimir Putin — as Zelensky prepares for a trip to Washington on Friday to sign an initial deal on mineral rights.

“I have questions, and we very [much] need answers, very honest answers, because we are at war, and we have to to understand on what we can count,” Zelensky, 47, told a news conference in Ukraine’s capital. “And that’s why this visit before Putin is a very good signal.”

Trump confirmed Wednesday that Zelensky would be coming to Washington, telling reporters ahead of the first cabinet meeting of the 47th presidency: “We’re going to be signing an agreement.” 

The deal will grant the US 50% of revenue from Ukrainian critical and rare-earth mineral sales, but does not include any security guarantees beyond the American economic stake. 

“I’m not going to make security guarantees beyond very much,” the American president confirmed. “We’re gonna have Europe do that, because it’s in, you know, we’re talking about, Europe is the next door neighbor, but we’re gonna make sure everything goes well.

Trump argued that the fact of American workers being in Ukraine to help with the rare earth extraction will provide a “sort of automatic security.”

“Nobody’s going to be messing around with our people when we’re there, and so we’ll be there that way.”

Wednesday’s comments are the clearest indication Trump will not provide Ukraine with any military guarantees in its negotiations with Russia, and may stick to just supporting European peacekeeping troops in the country.

“My questions will be very direct,” Zelensky promised Wednesday, before ticking off ideas suggested by leading congressional Republicans supporting Ukraine’s struggle. “[Will the] United States will stop support or not? If it’s not [free] aid, can we buy weapons directly from the United States? Can we work with frozen [Russian] assets for buying weapons, for example?”

While a memorandum establishing the terms can be signed between the two presidents as early as Friday, another agreement will be needed in the future to create a sovereign fund whose proceeds will be split between Washington and Kyiv. 

That second deal must also be approved by Ukraine’s parliament — the Verkhovna Rada.

A draft of the agreement published Wednesday by the Financial Times outlined the terms of a joint Reconstruction Investment Fund, with the US holding the “maximum percentage of ownership,”

The Ukrainian government will have to give 50% of “future monetization of all relevant Ukrainian Government-owned natural resource assets” to the US, including minerals, natural gas, hydrocarbons, oil “and other extractable materials.”

In exchange, the US will “maintain a long-term financial commitment to the development of a stable and economically prosperous Ukraine,” the draft reads. 

“Further contributions may be comprised of funds, financial instruments, and other tangible and intangible assets critical for the reconstruction of Ukraine.”

The draft agreement also recognizes, from the US side, that Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, that Ukraine voluntarily abandoned its nuclear arsenal and that both sides want to establish a “lasting peace” to the Russia-Ukraine war. 

“The United States of America and Ukraine wish to ensure that those States and other persons that have acted adversely to Ukraine in the conflict do not benefit from the reconstruction of Ukraine following a lasting peace,” the agreement states.

Ukraine’s deposits of rare earth minerals, used in advanced consumer and military technology, have been estimated to be worth up to $500 billion — though experts have told The Post it would take roughly five to seven years to begin profiting off the resources, due to the need for new geological surveys and the building of mines and resource-processing facilities.

The United States would also need to invest — either through American businesses or Trump’s previously announced sovereign wealth fund — in the infrastructure to ensure it is built and the rewards are reaped.

Zelensky said Wednesday he was persuaded to sign once negotiators indicated it would not be considered debt repayment, as Trump has repeatedly suggested.

“I will not agree to even 10 cents [of debt],” he said. “It’s not about not being grateful [for Biden-era aid] — we are.”

“The main thing was that we don’t owe anything to be reimbursed.”

However, the draft agreement shared with the Financial Times does mention in the first paragraph that one of the contexts of the joint fund’s creation is recognition that the US contributed to Ukraine aid for three years. 

Trump also told reporters Wednesday the minerals deal is allowing the US to get “what we’re entitled to take” after aiding Ukraine.

Zelensky pledged that he would also discuss ways that Europe can share the burden of costs for security guarantees, as the Trump administration has consistently called for the continent to step up its spending and aid for Ukraine.

“I want to coordinate our position with the American position. The war is in Ukraine, so for me, the Ukrainian position is the priority,” he said.

“I want to tell President Trump how I understand the position of our partners from Europe, because we’ve [had] a lot of consultations, and I think I know what they are ready for, and how they can help, and what strategic role the EU — even the [whole of] Europe — will play for Ukraine … in future security guarantees.”The Ukrainian president also reiterated his position that any ceasefire or peace deal with Russia must include Ukraine and said he will insist that current US sanctions be kept in place.

“A lot of things depend on the decision of President Trump, because also European partners will look at this,” Zelensky said. “This is [a] very important moment.”