Zelenskiy says US minerals deal must include military guarantees
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the US dropped its demand for Kyiv to commit to paying $500 billion as part of talks to give Washington a cut of the country’s mineral wealth.
But Zelenskiy insisted at a news conference on Sunday that US military support must be part of any deal, in a sign of how far both countries are from reaching an agreement.
US President Donald Trump and his deputies have pressured Zelenskiy to accept the deal on tapping revenues from Ukraine’s mineral wealth and other assets. The plan was first presented by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Kyiv on Feb. 12.
Ukraine’s leader rejected it, saying the proposal didn’t offer the robust security guarantees Ukraine seeks against Moscow’s aggression.
The White House sees the minerals deal as an integral part of its plan to broker a ceasefire in the three-year war after the US held direct talks with Russia in Saudi Arabia last week. That meeting raised fears that Ukraine would be shut out of negotiations over its own future.
The deal must be “win-win” for Ukraine and the US, Zelenskiy said on Sunday.
Trump has said he wants the equivalent of $500 billion to compensate the US for its previous support to Kyiv. Bloomberg News reported on Saturday that Ukraine sees the actual assistance provided by the US since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 as closer to $90 billion.
Zelenskiy said he rejected the US argument that American companies doing business in Ukraine would itself serve as a form of security guarantee.
Bessent discussed the contours of the potential agreement on Fox News’s Sunday Morning Futures, saying the US can help propel Ukraine onto a “great growth trajectory.”
“The first part of this is a partnership between Ukraine and the US that involves strategic minerals, energy, and state owned enterprises, where we set up a partnership and we are only looking forward,” Bessent said. Instead of a military guarantee, the US is offering an “economic security guarantee,” he added.
Zelenskiy’s top adviser Andriy Yermak said on Telegram on Sunday that talks with the US were advancing.
Disputes over the framing of the deal led to escalating rhetoric last week, with Trump calling his Ukrainian counterpart a “dictator” while Zelenskiy accused him of parroting Russian disinformation.
Ukraine has no major rare earth reserves that are internationally recognized as economically viable, despite reports it’s sitting on a $10 trillion trove of mineral deposits.
And while it has commercial mines of critical minerals like titanium and gallium, they aren’t likely to be worth the sums Trump has floated.
Zelenskiy said on Sunday that talks on the deal will allow Ukraine to conduct a real survey of its minerals reserves, including their ownership status. He said he didn’t rule out Kyiv retaking assets that have been obtained illegally.
(By Volodymyr Verbianyi and Aliaksandr Kudrytski)
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4 Comments
Ted B
Good work President Zelensky, don’t sell out to President Trump, while he himself is following very questionable Freedom of people, democratic policies. Ukraine has been fighting Putin for 3 yrs for its Sovereign Nation, Europe, Germany, France, and many European Countries will come to aid, however you also need more ground crew, it’s time for NATO to support Ukraines fight for freedom, Russsia, Putin will not stop, till Moscow crumbles. All the senseless attacks on schools, Nuclear plants, hospitals, complete city and town destruction, rapes while husband and kids watch, murders, Putin army of convicts, ridiculous. All the history and Artifacts destroyed senselessly, Putin is not to be trusted, possibly Trump or Musk either. Independent people negotiating and doing things NATO, the UN, EU, and G7 should be partaking in as a group, not Trump, Musk, and Putin. There are still war crimes to be solved and charged as of 3 yrs later. This is not Democratic, or what’s best for people of all Countries in the World. Hopefully a lot of corruption in Ukraine has been cleaned up though housekeeping is tough when dealing with nightly sirens and bombings. NATO is the alliance of Sovereign Nations, but they allow war crimes 3 yrs old to continue.
Eagle Claws
It seems that the US government under president Trump administration will make Ukrainian to a stalemate move. . Blessed are the Ukrainian people, you have a good thinker president. .
Dr Yelamakuri Obi Reddy
Till now the proposed talks between Russia and US over the conclusions of Russo — Ukrainian War confined to the critical mineral deal only. The talks did not include the security guarantees. Also Trump foreign policy but didn’t even consult Zelensky. Nor even East European allies nor Central Europe States were consulted. In other words, European powers were kept out of deliberations. Now a new thoght provoking is dawn on Zelensky to demand the deal should include ‘ Military, and Economic Security Cover ‘ against any Moscow aggression in future. Here military security should include NATO membership. Since NATO is a collective security organization, no country can dare to attack Ukraine, however big it is.But Trump has been insisting all member countries should contribute 2% of GDP towards maintenence.. One should wait whether al members agree to pay. Since Ukraine is a wartorn/ economically ravaged, deal must include 2% GDP..
Both countries should tonedown criticism against each other. Trump can on the basis of prowess to bargain cocession from Putin .
Kevin Helenius
Ukraine must retain controlling interests in any arrangement or deal made by President Trump representing the United States of America.. Also Ukraine must have guaranteed military support from the United States of America if the U.S.A. is receive continuous benefits.