Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has balked at the suggestion any minerals deal with the United States would be backpay for foreign aid his nation has received during the war.
President Trump estimated that America has offered upwards of $350billion in foreign aid, and now wants access to Ukraine’s critical minerals in return for the financial support already provided.
But Zelensky argued Biden’s generosity in supporting his nation against the Russian invasion should not now be retrospectively considered a loan that must be repaid through critical minerals.
‘I do not recognize [that Kyiv owes the US] even $100billion,’ he told reporters on Sunday.
‘We agreed with Biden that this was a grant. A grant is not a debt.’
Congress approved about $183billion in aid for Ukraine during the Biden administration – about half of the figure Trump estimates the nation actually received.
Zelensky said $70billion worth of military aid had been delivered to Ukraine, and that another $6billion had come in the form of training programs, humanitarian relief and economic and infrastructure recovery.
As for the rest of the assistance approved by the U.S. Congress, Zelensky said it never reached Ukraine.
‘I don’t know where all this money is,’ he said.
That statement sparked fears some $100 billion of US assistance had disappeared somewhere in Ukraine.
While Zelensky appears keen on working out some form of trade deal relating to Ukraine’s minerals, he wants a stronger guarantee from the Trump administration that the United States will continue supporting his efforts against Russia.
He said that the United States has assured him that their investment would ‘guarantee security because the Russians will not go near where the minerals are [if they are US[ business.’
‘But if [Putin] wants to, nothing will stop him from repeated aggression,’ Zelensky said, according to The Post.
He is asking for a guarantee in writing that the United States would protect its assets within Ukrainian territory if Russia launched an offensive.
‘This is not out of respect or disrespect for President Trump — but he is not going to be here forever. And we need peace for many, many years,’ he said.
Zelensky said that ultimately, he would not ‘sign something that is bad for Ukraine’ – including a ceasefire agreement if Trump were to negotiate something with Russian President Vladimir Putin that was not in Ukraine’s best interests.
Washington has hinted Trump could secure a ceasefire within the week.
‘We don’t trust them,’ Zelensky said of Russia.
Earlier, Trump had said he wanted Ukraine to ‘give us something for all the money we put up.
‘We’re asking for rare earth and oil – anything we can get… We’re going to get our money back because it’s not fair.’
It is unclear whether the renewed negotiations make mention of the trade as a form of ‘compensation’, but Zelensky has hinted there has been a shift to make it more appealing to Ukraine.
‘This agreement can add value to our relations – what matters most is getting the details right to ensure it truly works. I look forward to a just result,’ Zelensky said.