The return of Trump to the White House has not only created problems for the EU and China but has also become a nightmare for Ukrainian President Zelensky. After being adamant about bringing peace to the Ukraine-Russian war, Trump also wants to get paid from Ukraine for its support during the war by signing a Mineral deal with Ukraine. On Friday, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the US had presented Ukraine with a revised draft of a minerals deal which is “entirely different” granting the US access to Ukrainian natural resources in exchange for military support.
While Zelenskyy has not outright rejected the new proposal, he has made it clear that any agreement must not jeopardize Ukraine’s ambitions to join the European Union, which the new deals also talks about. “Nothing that could endanger Ukraine’s accession to the EU can be accepted,” the Ukrainian leader stated at a press conference in Kyiv.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha echoed these sentiments, emphasizing that Kyiv would never agree to terms that weakened its strategic position. “We can see this Russian strategy and will never accept anything that leaves Ukraine weak or defenseless,” Sybiha said. “To the contrary, a real and fair peace requires strong and long-term security guarantees to preserve it.”
However, US President Donald Trump has issued a stern warning to Zelensky, stating that Ukraine could face “big, big problems” if it withdraws from the agreement.
“He’s trying to back out of the rare earth deal,” Trump told reporters on Sunday, referring to the agreement that would allow the US access to Ukraine’s valuable mineral deposits. “If he does that, he’s got some problems. Big, big problems. We made a deal on rare earth. And now he’s saying, ‘Well, you know, I want to renegotiate the deal.'”
Trump’s comments came after Zelensky’s commented on the minerals deal. The original agreement, which was set to be signed on February 28, fell through after a heated exchange at the White House publicly, during which US Vice President JD Vance accused Zelenskyy of being ungrateful for the US support.
Ukraine cannot reject the ‘Minerals Deal’
Zelensky has not rejected the minerals deal outright, nor is he in a position to do so. Ukraine cannot fight Russia without Western support, especially from the US. The only solution for the war is to have a peace deal with Russia, as the US has pulled its military and humanitarian support. Under the Trump administration, the US is adamant in bringing their war expenditure through the mineral deal from Ukraine. In the coming months, Zelensky has to agree with the deal or have to go, and the deal would be signed in the term of a new Ukrainian leader, which Russia is already demanding to have an election before signing a peace deal with Ukraine.
Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump dismissed Zelensky’s aspirations for NATO membership, stating, “He wants to be a member of NATO. He was never going to be a member of NATO. He understands that.“ Trump had previously argued that Ukraine’s NATO bid was a key factor in escalating tensions with Russia.
Despite claiming that “we’re making a lot of progress“ in resolving the war, Trump acknowledged the difficulties in brokering a settlement. “I was angry, pissed off,“ he said in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s assertion that Zelenskyy lacks the authority to negotiate peace. Notably, Zelensky presidential term technically expired last year. After martial law was brought into force on May 14, 2022, under Ukraine’s constitution, elections cannot be held during martial law.
Ukraine Under Attack Amid Ceasefire Talks
Trump’s remarks came as Russian forces launched fresh assaults on Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv. Russian drones targeted a military hospital, a shopping center, and residential buildings, resulting in two deaths and dozens of injuries.
Meanwhile, reports suggest that Moscow and Washington have begun informal discussions on a separate rare earth minerals deal. Putin’s envoy on economic and investment cooperation, Kirill Dmitriev, told Russian media 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.”
