Zelensky hesitant to sign US minerals deal, cites unclear terms
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is reluctant to approve a proposed agreement that would grant US companies preferential access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals.
A Ukrainian source told AFP the deal is reportedly being pushed by US President Donald Trump as compensation for the billions of dollars in aid provided to Ukraine under his predecessor, Joe Biden.
According to the source, Ukraine is not ready to sign the agreement in its current form, as key aspects remain unclear and unbalanced. While Trump’s National Security Adviser, Mike Waltz, has expressed confidence that Zelensky will sign soon, Ukrainian officials have raised concerns over the lack of concrete obligations from the US.
The source claimed that the US is looking to extract $500 billion from Ukraine without clear investment commitments or security guarantees in return. "What kind of partnership is this?" the source questioned, adding that Ukraine has proposed amendments to make the deal more constructive.
Ukraine is seeking security assurances as part of any agreement involving its critical mineral resources. The disagreement over the deal comes at a time of heightened tensions between Zelensky and Trump, with the former US president recently referring to Zelensky as a “dictator” in a social media post.