Kyiv, Feb 19 (Reuters) - On Wednesday, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy dismissed U.S. requests for $500 billion in mineral wealth from Ukraine as repayment for wartime assistance. He emphasized that Washington had provided just $67 billion in weaponry and $31.5 billion in direct budget support during the near three-year conflict with Russia, far from the demanded amount.
Zelenskiy stated, "You can't call this 500 billion and ask us to return 500 billion in minerals or something else. This is not a serious conversation."
Following a proposal by Trump's administration for the mineral deal, which Kyiv declined, Zelenskiy highlighted the lack of essential security guarantees in the agreement to counter Russian aggression, mentioning that the draft suggested U.S. ownership of 50% of Ukraine's critical minerals, a condition he found unacceptable.
Asserting his stance, Zelenskiy emphasized, "I defend Ukraine, I can't sell our country." He urged for revised terms offering mutual benefits and stronger security provisions while delegating further negotiations to legal experts.
The scrutiny over the aid provided by the U.S. to Ukraine has become a crucial diplomatic issue as Kyiv strives to uphold its historically significant partnership with its key ally.
In response to Trump's query regarding aid allocation, Zelenskiy clarified that the combined assistance from the U.S. and the European Union totaled $200 billion out of the $320 billion spent on war weaponry. He underscored that Ukraine covered the remaining costs, roughly $120 billion.