Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was willing to give up the presidency "if it is for the peace of Ukraine." (REUTERS/Gleb Garanich/Pool)
U.S. officials have said NATO membership is off the table for Ukraine at any point in the near future, as Russia would never agree to such terms.
Despite Zelenskyy's complaints, Trump insisted a new draft mineral deal is "very close," and the deal will be worth $350 billion.
"It looks like we're getting very close, the deal's being worked on we're getting very close to getting an agreement where we get our money back over a period of time. But it also gives us something that is very beneficial to their economy, to them as a country," Trump told reporters while meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed the U.S. and Ukraine are at the "one-yard line" of a deal.
"The negotiations have been very constructive, with nearly all key details finalized. We are committed to completing this swiftly to proceed with its signature. We hope both US and UA leaders might sign and endorse it in Washington the soonest to showcase our commitment for decades to come," Olga Stefanishyna, a Ukrainian deputy prime minister, added on X.
Zelenskyy insisted he would not sign a deal that would cost Ukraine for decades.
"I will not sign what 10 generations of Ukrainians will have to pay back," he said.
However, Zelenskyy is under pressure to agree to a deal to appease the Trump administration as the U.S. tries to broker peace with Russia.
The deal involves offering the U.S. preferential access to hundreds of billions of dollars' worth of Ukraine’s rare-earth minerals as payback for past military aid, with no guarantee of future aid.
TRUMP SET TO MEET WITH WORLD LEADERS IN DC DURING BUSY WEEK AS RUSSIA-UKRAINE PEACE TALKS CONTINUE
A woman and a man commemorate their fallen son on the third anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, at a cemetery in Bucha, outside Kyiv, Ukraine, on Feb. 24, 2025. (REUTERS/Anatolii Stepanov TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)
Ukraine's constitution outlaws holding elections while the nation is operating under martial law, which it has been since February 2022. Elections were originally scheduled for last spring.
Under the first draft of the mineral deal, the U.S. and Ukraine would split the profits of its minerals 50-50 for up to $500 billion.
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The second draft of the deal, obtained by the New York Times, was even harsher – and would have required Kyiv to give up its minerals, oil and gas revenues and earnings from ports and other infrastructure until reaching $500 billion.
Zelenskyy said he would not recognize Trump’s $500 billion figure, as the assistance Ukraine had received from the U.S. was closer to $100 billion.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/zelenskyy-names-his-terms-giving-up-power-us-ukraine-lock-mineral-deal-nato