President Trump says Russia is 'bigger and stronger'.

According to RIA Novosti on May 1st, in a conversation with NewsNation television channel, US President Donald Trump said that during his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Vatican, he urged Kyiv to reach an agreement on Ukraine's resources because Russia is bigger and stronger.

"I told him, Mr. Zelensky, that it would be great if we signed an agreement. Because Russia is much bigger and more powerful," President Trump told NewsNation.

The American leader added that he will soon be building and restructuring the military, at which point the Russian military will be "not as strong as the American military."

Earlier, the US Treasury Department reported that Washington and Kyiv had signed an agreement on Ukraine's natural resources.

"On April 30, the United States and Ukraine signed an agreement to establish the U.S.-Ukraine Investment and Reconstruction Fund. This is in recognition of the significant financial and material support that the American people have provided to the defense of Ukraine," the U.S. Treasury Department said in a statement.

The funds in this reconstruction fund are expected to be used for the purpose of restoring Ukraine.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the mineral agreement reached between Washington and Kyiv aims to demonstrate to Russia that the US has a long-term commitment to the peace process to resolve the Ukrainian crisis.

According to Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Sviridenko, Washington and Kyiv will have equal rights within the framework of the resource agreement.

Meanwhile, on the Russian side, President Vladimir Putin previously stated that the combat readiness of the Russian army is at the highest level in the world, as is the military-industrial complex.

The Kremlin noted that Russia does not threaten anyone, but will not ignore actions that could endanger its interests.