The Trump administration appeared to be making progress on Friday toward a deal that would give the United States valuable mineral rights in Ukraine.
The movement came after a week in which President Trump, initially rebuffed on an agreement, turned up the pressure by assailing Ukraine and suggesting he would side with Russia in seeking to end the war there.
Mr. Trump boasted at the White House that he was nearing a deal that could bring up to $500 billion to the United States. “So we’re signing an agreement, hopefully in the next fairly short period of time,” he said.
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine likewise said his country was working on a draft agreement between the two governments, seemingly tamping down the tensions that had flared with Mr. Trump over a deal.
“This agreement can add value to our relations — what matters most is getting the details right to ensure it truly works,” Mr. Zelensky said in a social media post on Friday.
The signs of easing tensions only underscored how Mr. Trump has struck an overtly transactional and mercantilist stance toward resolving a conflict, started by Russia, that carries profound security implications for Europe and the future of the trans-Atlantic alliance.