Trump Accuses Zelensky of Backing Out of Rare Earth Deal, Warns of “Problems”
President Donald Trump has accused Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky of attempting to renege on a rare earth minerals deal with the United States, issuing a stark warning about potential consequences, Fox News reports.
“I think Zelensky, by the way, he’s trying to back out of the rare earth deal, and if he does that, he’s got some problems – big, big problems,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday. “We made a deal on rare earths, 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’s comments contradict a statement made by Zelensky last month, where the Ukrainian leader expressed Ukraine’s readiness to sign a minerals and security agreement with the US at any time, emphasizing its importance as a step towards greater security guarantees.
The apparent disagreement follows a recent visit by Zelensky to the White House, where the two leaders were expected to finalize the rare earth minerals agreement. However, the meeting soured, and Zelensky left without a deal.
Despite the tension over the rare earth agreement, Trump claimed progress is being made on a ceasefire deal between Ukraine and Russia. When asked if his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin was at its lowest point, Trump said no, expressing confidence that Putin would not renege on the partial ceasefire agreement. He also defended the necessity of dealing with individuals, regardless of personal feelings, to achieve diplomatic solutions.
Trump acknowledged his displeasure with recent comments made by Putin questioning Zelensky’s credibility but maintained that he believes Putin “is going to be good.” He also stated he would not want to put secondary tariffs on Russia. The US previously imposed secondary tariffs on Venezuela, which Trump described as having a “very strong impact.”
