Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's reluctance to sign a minerals deal with the United States has cast a shadow over the proposed agreement, as tensions between the two nations continue to escalate.
An anonymous source close to the matter revealed to AFP that Zelensky is hesitant to accept the current draft of the deal, stating, In the form in which the draft is now, the President is not ready to accept, we are still trying to make changes and add constructiveness.
Since his inauguration last month, President Donald Trump has taken a bold approach to US foreign policy, extending diplomatic gestures towards Russia while simultaneously demanding Ukraine relinquish its rare minerals as compensation for wartime aid received during Joe Biden's tenure.
Despite predictions from Trump's national security adviser that Zelensky would soon sign the minerals deal, the Ukrainian President has resisted any agreement that would equate to "selling" his country.
According to Breitbart, the ongoing negotiations between the US and Ukraine are taking place against a backdrop of increasing discord between Trump and Zelensky, a situation that has caused concern in both Kyiv and Europe. Trump recently labeled Zelensky a "dictator" and urged him to expedite the end of the war. This came after Russian and US officials held discussions in Saudi Arabia, excluding Kyiv from the conversation.
In a surprising move, a proposed United Nations resolution on the Ukraine conflict, put forth by the US, failed to acknowledge Kyiv's territory occupied by Russia. Furthermore, Trump's request for "$500 billion worth" of rare earth minerals as compensation for aid provided to Kyiv has been met with resistance from Ukraine. This figure does not align with the published US aid figures, leading to further confusion and contention.
The anonymous Ukrainian source expressed frustration with the proposed deal, stating, There are no American obligations in the agreement regarding guarantees or investments, everything about them is very vague, and they want to extract $500 billion from us. The source further questioned the nature of the partnership and the rationale behind the $500 billion figure, revealing that Ukraine had proposed amendments to the draft.
Official figures indicate that the US has supplied Ukraine with over $60 billion in military aid since Russia's invasion, making it the largest contributor among Kyiv's allies. However, this figure is significantly lower than Trump's proposed $500 billion. The Kiel Institute, a German economic research institution, reported that the US provided a total of 114.2 billion euros ($119.8 billion) in financial, humanitarian, and military aid from 2022 until the end of 2024.
Despite the ongoing tensions, a senior Ukrainian official confirmed to AFP that discussions regarding a potential agreement are still in progress. Trump's envoy, Keith Kellogg, commended Zelensky for his courage during a recent visit to Kyiv.
As Ukraine continues to endure daily Russian attacks and gradually loses ground to Moscow, the country prepares to commemorate the third anniversary of Russia's invasion. Amid these challenges, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen have discussed the urgent need for a fair and lasting peace in Ukraine. In a separate conversation with Zelensky, Starmer reaffirmed the UK's unwavering support for Ukraine.
Login