According to US Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff , the deal is geared to recover what the US has spent on aid to Ukraine NEW YORK, February 23. /TASS/. US Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff has said that Washington expects to sign a minerals deal with Ukraine next week. "I expect to see a deal signed this week. You saw President (Volodymyr) Zelensky waver in his commitment towards that a week ago. The president sent a message to him, he's not wavering anymore," Witkoff told CNN .