US President Donald Trump on Sunday warned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of "big problem" if he tried to renegotiate the rare earth minerals deal with the United States. Responding to recent reports regarding Zelensky's tance on the deal, Trump said, “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 also noted that an agreement had been reached, stating, “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, but he was never going to be a member of NATO. He understands that. If he’s looking to renegotiate, he’s got big problems.” Trump repeated that NATO membership for Ukraine is not an option, adding that Zelensky is aware of this.
Trump’s earlier comments on deal
On March 20, Trump had stated that a rare earth deal with Ukraine was close to completion. The agreement was intended to provide the US with access to Ukraine’s mineral deposits. However, recent comments suggest the deal is now in question.
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Zelenskyy responds to US proposal
Days after Trump's claim that the rare earths deal was to be signed shortly, Ukraine's President Zelenskyy said that the United States had shared a new deal with his country. Ukrainian officials had added that the proposed deal was still being scruitinised, contradicting Trump's claims.
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Trump-Zelenskyy: The spat
This to-and-from on the rare earth deal follows the rare public spat between Trump and Zelenskyy on February 28, when the Ukrainian President visited the White House. The two countries were expected to sign a deal that day. However, following the spat, the signing of the deal was cancelled.
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Russia-Ukraine talks derailed?
Meanwhile, United States-led talks for peace between Russia and Ukraine also seem to be derailing, with Trump criticising both Putin and Zelenskyy due to a lack of movement in the Russia-Ukraine ceasefire agreement.
According to a Reuters report Trump has warned Russia of fresh sanctions if a peace deal is not achieved, He said, “If Russia and I are unable to make a deal on stopping the bloodshed in Ukraine, and if I think it was Russia’s fault…I am going to put secondary tariffs on oil, on all oil coming out of Russia."
