Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is reportedly attempting to retract from a minerals agreement with the United States, according to statements made by former President Donald Trump. On Sunday, while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump expressed his concerns over Zelenskyy’s intentions.
“I think Zelenskyy, by the way, he’s trying to back out of the rare earth deal, and if he does that, he’s got some problems — big, big problems,”
Trump stated, further commenting on the situation by saying, “We made a deal on rare earths, and now he’s saying, ‘well, you know, I want to renegotiate the deal.’ He wants to be a member of NATO. Well, he was never going to be a member of NATO. He understands that, so, if he’s looking to renegotiate the deal, he’s got big problems.”
Zelenskyy’s stance on EU accession
During a press briefing in Kyiv on Friday, Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine would not endorse any minerals agreement that might threaten its path toward European Union membership. He asserted, “Nothing that could endanger… Ukraine’s accession to the EU can be accepted.”
Further supporting this position, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha reiterated on Sunday that Ukraine will reject any terms that could weaken the nation. “We can see this Russian strategy and will never accept anything that leaves Ukraine weak or defenseless,” he remarked. “To the contrary, a real and fair peace requires strong and long-term security guarantees to preserve it.”
Negotiations and future implications
The remarks come in light of the most recent U.S. proposal regarding minerals, which aims to establish a joint investment fund granting the U.S. access to Ukraine’s oil, gas, and mineral resources while splitting the resulting revenue. However, Zelenskyy noted that the latest draft included “many new provisions that were not previously discussed” along with “some aspects that had already been rejected by both sides,” as reported by Ukrainian media.
Bloomberg indicated on Friday that Ukraine is expected to request modifications to the deal, seeking more U.S. investment commitments and further clarifications on the joint reconstruction fund’s operational dynamics.
In the background, Russian state media disclosed that discussions between Moscow and Washington regarding a potential rare earth minerals agreement have commenced. Kirill Dmitriev, Putin’s envoy for international economic and investment cooperation, remarked to Izvestia that “Rare earth metals are an important area for cooperation, and we have certainly started discussions about various rare earth metals and projects in Russia.”
Initially, the U.S. and Ukraine were set to formalize a minerals deal on February 28; however, those plans unraveled following a public disagreement in the White House, during which U.S. Vice President JD Vance accused Zelenskyy of ingratitude.