Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rejected Donald Trump’s request for a deal that would allow the U.S. to take a percentage of Ukraine’s rare minerals in exchange for $500 billion in economic aid.
In a statement given this Wednesday, Zelensky said, “I cannot sell my country.”
The Ukrainian president called this idea “an unclear and unserious conversation,” adding that he was ready to work on a “serious document” if the U.S. were to provide security guarantees.
“Okay, let’s make a deal, let’s share investments… but we need security guarantees,” Zelenskyy said.
He also emphasized that he would not engage in an agreement that did not respect Ukraine’s Constitution and laws.
It seems that the relationship between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is heading toward a break.
Tensions between the two leaders escalated following Trump’s statement on Tuesday, where he blamed Ukraine for starting the war.
In response this Wednesday, Zelensky criticized President Trump, saying he was “trapped in a bubble of disinformation.”
This statement referred to Trump’s claims that approval for the Ukrainian president was only at 4%. Zelenskyy stated that this claim was a disinformation campaign coming from Russia and that Ukraine had evidence showing that the figures had been discussed in a meeting between U.S. and Russian officials.
“We saw this disinformation. We understand that it comes from Russia. We understand it and have proof that these figures were discussed between the U.S. and Russia,” Zelenskyy said.
