“Attitude toward us as colony is offensive”: Ukraine wants to sign fair mineral deal but resists US pressure

US officials in Washington are pushing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to sign a deal on mineral resources, believing it could help salvage his relationship with US President Donald Trump, sources from the White House told Politico. Recently, US President Donald Trump called Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy a “dictator without elections” and accused Ukraine of starting the war with Russia after US-Russia talks in Saudi Arabia and the refusal to sign a rare minerals investment deal. The Ukrainian leader declined to sign a US agreement on resource transfers worth $500 billion, stating that Ukraine had received only $98.5 billion from the US since 2022. The agreement also lacked security guarantees or assurances of further military aid, alongside other unfavorable terms. Sources point out that Trump’s criticism of Zelenskyy is not a pivot towards Russia but a response from the US administration to Ukraine’s reluctance to sign the mineral resources deal.

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Politico highlights that Trump’s criticism has sparked anger in Kyiv. Meanwhile, sources told Politico that the US president's comments on Zelenskyy should not be taken too seriously. They believe this is part of Trump's negotiation strategy to secure the best deal possible. Ukrainian deputy Yehor Cherniev, head of Ukraine’s delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, told journalists that Kyiv remains open to a deal, but it must be fair and benefit Ukraine.

“We have been a loyal friend and ally of the US for many years, and the attitude toward us as a colony or an enemy on whom reparations are imposed is offensive and incomprehensible to us,” said Cherniev.

Kyiv has long insisted that Ukraine’s security guarantees are not charity but a NATO security issue. This is also crucial for investment, says Alina Polyakova, head of the Center for European Policy Analysis.

“They need a secure place to do business for this deal to happen," the expert told journalists, adding that companies that are going to invest and set up very expensive mining operations must be protected from Russian missiles.

However, in Ukraine, there’s an understanding that the deal on mineral resources might be the only chance to gain US support, Polyakova added.

Related:

• Reality check: Zelenskyy’s approval is 54%, not 4% as Trump claims—and it still beats Trump’s
• Western nations condemn Russian elections in occupied Ukraine as illegitimate
• Zelenskyy refutes Trump’s $ 500 billion aid claim, says Ukraine received $ 98.5 billion from US