Trump confronts Zelensky over broken rare earth metals deal
Donald Trump accused Kyiv of breaching the agreement regarding rare earth metals. He once again attacked Volodymyr Zelensky, calling him a "dictator" and setting a condition for the President of Ukraine.
– While the United States gets nothing back, so they get their money back. And we had a deal based on rare earth and things, but they broke that deal… they broke it two days ago, – said Donald Trump during a speech in Miami at the Future Investment Institute event, organized by Saudi Arabia.
Trump stated that the U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent undertook a long and "dangerous" journey to Kyiv and was treated "rudely." –He went there to sign the document and came back empty-handed, – said the former U.S. President.
He publicly threatened that either the deal would be restored, or the situation will not please Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Trump once again called for elections to be held in the country under martial law, labelling Zelensky a "dictator" who involved the U.S. in a "war that couldn't be won."
Conflict over rare earth metals
Trump accused Zelensky of breaking an agreement that was supposed to guarantee the United States a 50% share of revenues from rare earth metals as compensation for the assistance provided so far.
U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz pointed out that this is the reason for the "frustration" in relations between Washington and Kyiv, and Americans "deserve" to receive money for the aid provided.
In Miami, Trump also addressed the issue of talks between the U.S. and Russia in Riyadh, emphasizing that Zelensky was not invited to Saudi Arabia. – Today I heard, ‘Oh well, we weren’t invited. Well, you been there for three years. You should’ve ended it after three years. You should’ve never started it. You could’ve made a deal, – aimed at Zelensky, said the former U.S. President.
Read also:
Zelensky responds to pressure on potential departure
Source: CNN, PAP
