Trump warns Zelensky: Rethink resource deal or face fallout
On Sunday, U.S. President Donald Trump declared that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is seeking to withdraw from a resource agreement, warning that he would face "big problems." Trump also stated that he still believes Russian President Vladimir Putin desires peace and won't go back on his word.
Donald Trump commented on the positions of the leaders of Ukraine and Russia during peace negotiations while speaking to journalists aboard Air Force One on his way back to Washington from Florida.
When asked about his previous statement to NBC, in which he threatened Vladimir Putin with "secondary tariffs" if a ceasefire was not reached due to Russia's actions, Trump emphasized that he still trusts in the Russian president's good intentions.
I don’t think he’s going to go back on his word. You’re talking about Putin. I don’t think he’s going to go back on his word. I’ve known him for a long time. We’ve always gotten along well, said the U.S. president, recalling that the "Russiagate" scandal during his first term did not disrupt their good relations. However, he admitted that he was "disappointed" by the Russian president's remarks questioning the credibility and legitimacy of the Ukrainian president.
He had to make a deal with him whether he liked it or not. So I wasn't happy about that. But I think Putin will be fair, and I certainly wouldn't want to impose secondary tariffs on Russia, but if they were implemented, it wouldn't be beneficial for them, he said.
In an interview with NBC, Trump explained that "secondary tariffs" would be imposed on countries buying oil from Russia.
Despite his frustration, Trump assessed on board Air Force One that he doesn't think the Russians are trying to deceive him, stating that Putin "wants to make a deal." However, he pointed out that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in his view, is attempting to back out of a U.S. agreement involving the exploitation of Ukraine's mineral resources.
We made a deal on rare earth, and now he's saying, well, you know, I want to renegotiate the deal. He wants to be a member of NATO. Well, he was never going to be a member of NATO. He understands that. So if he's looking to renegotiate the deal, he's got big problems, Trump said.
New version of the deal. Kyiv wants significant changes
According to reports from sources like the Financial Times and Bloomberg, the United States requested Kyiv renegotiate the previously agreed but unsigned text of the resource agreement. The new version proposed by the U.S. aims to give America broad control over exploiting, selling, and generating profit from Ukrainian natural resources.
According to Bloomberg, Ukraine will demand substantial changes to this document because its current form may threaten Kyiv's aspirations for integration with the European Union. Furthermore, the document's content suggests that Ukrainians would have to repay the United States for the financial and military aid that Washington has provided to Kyiv since the beginning of Russia's full-scale military invasion.
