Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expressing anger over an apparent thaw in U.S.-Russian relations while indicating he will refuse to award the U.S. rights to Ukrainian minerals as compensation for the aid and military assistance he has received. The idea that Ukraine should be “giving back in minerals” to pay its debt to American taxpayers “is not a serious conversation,” Zelensky insists.
Zelensky, despite his heavy reliance on U.S. aid, says he is only willing to work on a “serious document” that includes “security guarantees” for Ukraine, presumably including a U.S. commitment to go to war with Russia to defend it.
The current draft agreement proposing a Reconstruction Investment Fund for Ukraine, put forward by the United States, stipulates that opportunities to develop Ukraine’s “mineral resources, oil and gas resources, ports, [and] other infrastructure (as agreed)” should be open to the U.S. rather than its competitors—as the U.S. has gifted Ukraine far more assistance than any other country.
“Look, we all want a victory, and we want Trump to win, and we want Ukraine to win, all of us to succeed… But I am protecting Ukraine. I can’t sell it away. I can’t sell our state,” Zelensky said, apparently believing that the U.S. should continue funding and supplying the Ukrainian military, paying the salaries of Ukrainian government workers, and subsidizing Ukrainian agriculture and businesses in exchange for nothing at all.
“OK, let’s do a deal. Let’s share [it], depending on the investment… but we need security guarantees,” he reiterated, also complaining about the U.S. wanting the Reconstruction Investment Fund agreement to be arbitrated according to New York law rather than “the laws of Ukraine.”
Trump has raised serious questions about the legitimacy of Zelensky’s leadership, considering his presidential term should have expired last May. The Ukrainian leader remains in post due to martial law and has previously banned at least 12 rival political parties, including the main opposition, alleging they were Russia sympathizers.