A senior White House official reportedly criticized Ukrainian president Voldy Mie Zelensky's decision not to sign an agreement proposed to provide Ukrainian rare earth minerals to the United States.
“President Zelensky is becoming shortsighted about the great opportunities that the Trump administration has presented to Ukraine,” White House National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes told The Associated Press.
Hughes said the mineral trade would allow American taxpayers to “recover” some of the billions of aid sent to Kiev during the Biden administration during the Ukrainian administration. “Binding economic ties with the United States will be the best guarantee against future aggression and an integral part of lasting peace,” a spokesman for the National Security Council said. “The Russians must recognize this, this, this, this, and the Ukrainians must recognize this.”
Hughes did not explicitly confirm any proposals reported by the AP. This was an important part of Zelenskyyy's consultation with US Vice President JD Vance on the bystanders of the Munich Security Conference on Friday.
National security adviser says Putin, Zelensky agrees, “Only President Trump can bring them to the table.”
Second right-right Vice President Marco Rubio, third right-hand speaker, will meet with Ukrainian President Voldimi Zelensky, on Friday, February 14th, 2025, on the sidelines of the Munich security conference. . (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader, File)
One current and one former senior Ukrainian official, familiar with the consultation, told the AP that the offer does not include certain security guarantees in return for rare earth mineral access.
The proposal is to see how the US could use Kiev rare earth minerals “as compensation” for the assistance already given to Ukraine by the Biden administration, and as a payment for future aid, current and former officials. said he was speaking anonymously to the AP. Zelenskyy said he instructed the minister not to approve the proposed contract as the documents focus on US interests.
“In my view, I did not let the pastor sign an agreement relating to it because I am not ready to defend us,” Zelensky told the Associated Press in Munich on Saturday.
Ukraine has enormous reserves of important minerals used in the aerospace, defense and nuclear industries. The Trump administration has shown interest in accessing them to reduce dependence on China.
Zelenskyy reportedly thought that “some security guarantee and some investment relationship is very important” to stop another Russian invasion.
The document was reportedly given to Ukrainian officials on Wednesday by Treasury Secretary Scott Bescent, who visited Kiev.
“It was a colonial agreement and Zelensky could not sign,” a former Ukrainian official told the Associated Press.
Ukrainian President Voldy Mie Zelensky and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bescent will hold a press conference during a meeting held in Kiev on February 12, 2025. (Tetiana Dzhafarova/AFP Getty Images)
US National Security Advisor Michael Waltz On Sunday, the Trump administration reportedly began to begin consultations with Saudi Arabia's Russian counterparts this week, rejecting the notion that European allies have not been consulted about negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. French President Emmanuel Macron then said he would convene an emergency meeting between Paris' major European powers on Monday to discuss the Russian-Ukraine conflict.
Waltz told Fox News Sunday that Bescent and Secretary of State Marco Rubio stressed the importance of “entering a partnership with the US” in a meeting with Zelensky, saying, “President Trump and the Americans and We co-invested.” from now on. ”
“The American people deserve to be recovered. They deserve to have some type of return on the billions they invested in this war,” Waltz said. “I can't think of anything that will make American people more comfortable with future investments than if we were able to join the partnership and have the American people created as a whole. And I points out that. European aid It is actually a loan form. It will be repaid. It is being repaid with interest in Russian assets. Therefore, President Trump is rethinking the entire dynamic here. That may be offensive, but I think Zelensky would be very wise to enter into this agreement with the United States. There is no better way to secure them in the future. Furthermore, there was the question of whether Putin would be at the table. He is doing so now under President Trump's leadership and we intend to continue those discussions in the coming weeks at President Trump's direction. ”
US officials discussing with their Ukrainian counterparts in Munich are commercially harboring their hearts, focusing primarily on details of exploring the minerals and how to form a partnership with Ukraine that could do so. said the senior official. The potential value of Ukrainian deposits has not yet been discussed and is close to many unexplored or forefront. The US proposal does not appear to take into account how deposits will be secured if the war continues.
Treasury Secretary Bessent offers economic investment agreements to Zelenskyy
Zelenskyy and Vance did not discuss details of the US documents during their meeting at the Munich Conference on Friday, officials said.
The meeting was “very good” and “substantial” and was to achieve durable and lasting peace by revealing Vance and his main goals, the senior official said. Ta. Zelensky demands that Vance be in a “strong position” when real peace begins, and US negotiators should come to Ukraine, with US, Ukraine and Europe meetings with Russia He emphasized that he needs to be on the negotiation table for this.
General Keith Kellogg, Trump's special mission to Ukraine and Russia, has excluded Europeans from Ukraine-Russia discussions despite Zelensky's demands.
Ukrainian President Voldy Mirzelensky will speak at the 61st Munich Security Conference held in Munich, Germany on February 15th, 2025. (Johannes Simon/Getty Images)
“Ukrainians, Russians, and obviously Americans at the table are talking,” Kellogg said at an event hosted by Ukrainian big names at the Munich Conference. Pushing whether that means that no Europeans would be included, he said: “I'm a school of realism. I don't think that will happen.”
Ukraine is currently preparing a “counter proposal” that will be delivered to the US in the “near future,” officials said.
“I think it's important for the Vice President to understand that if they want to sign something, they have to understand that it works,” Zelensky told the Associated Press.
So, “it's going to bring money and security,” he said.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
