Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attends a summit of European leaders at Lancaster House, London, the United Kingdom, on March 2, 2025 [Toby Melville/Pool via AP Photo]
AL JAZEERA | Published March 3, 2025
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said a minerals deal with the United States is “ready” to be signed despite his public bust-up with US President Donald Trump.
Speaking to journalists after a pivotal summit with European leaders in London on Sunday, Zelenskyy said Kyiv was ready to go forward with the agreement, which fell through following the clash with Trump on Friday.
“It is our policy to continue despite what happened in the past. We are constructive. If we agreed upon signing it, we were ready to sign it. And honestly, I believe that the United States is ready as well,” Zelenskyy told a group of reporters at London Stansted airport via a translator.
“Perhaps there is a need in time to analyse certain things, but I just want the Ukrainian position to be heard. It was very important to me that the Ukrainian position is heard.”
Zelenskyy expressed confidence that relations with Trump could be salvaged and that his administration would not cut off assistance to Kyiv.
“I think our relations will continue. Because this is more than relations at a certain moment,” the Ukrainian leader said.
“We must be open. Ukraine is not the biggest country in the world but everyone can see how it fights for its independence and freedom.”
“We count on assistance from the United States without a doubt,” he added.
“I think stopping such assistance will only help [Russian President Vladimir] Putin. And because of that, I think the United States and representatives of the civilised world, leaders of this world definitely won’t help Putin.”
Zelenskyy’s remarks came at the end of a two-day visit to the United Kingdom, during which European leaders sought to present a united front in support of Ukraine and salvage efforts to bring an end to its war with Russia.
At a landmark summit in London, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said his country and France would gather a “coalition of the willing” to draw up a peace plan to present to Trump.
“We are at a crossroads in history today,” Starmer said, calling on his European counterparts to step up to a “once-in-a-generation moment” for the security of the continent.
“This is not a moment for more talk. It’s time to act. Time to step up and lead and to unite around a new plan for a just and enduring peace.”
The Trump administration’s proposal to jointly exploit Ukraine’s natural resources as part of a broader deal to end the war collapsed in spectacular fashion on Friday during a televised meeting between Zelenskyy and the US president at the White House.
After Zelenskyy challenged US Vice President JD Vance over his contention that diplomacy was needed after former US President Joe Biden’s approach had failed, Trump and Vance castigated the Ukrainian leader for not being sufficiently grateful for US support and overestimating his bargaining position.
Following the exchange, Trump cancelled the rest of Zelenskyy’s visit, including a signing ceremony for the minerals deal, and said the Ukrainian leader could return when “he is ready” for peace.
Several Republican lawmakers, including South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, suggested that Zelenskyy should resign if he could not negotiate with Trump.
On Sunday, Zelenskyy rejected Republicans’ calls for him to consider his position as “undemocratic” but said he would step down if Ukraine was granted membership of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
“Then it means I have fulfilled my mission,” he said.
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SOURCE: www.aljazeera.com
RELATED:Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent Reveals This Is the Third Time Zelensky Has Backed Out of Mineral Deal
Screenshot: Fox News / Youtube
THE GATEWAY PUNDIT | Published March 3, 2025
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent revealed in an exclusive interview with Laura Ingraham on The Ingraham Angle that this is the third time Zelensky has refused to sign a mineral agreement, leaving U.S. officials stunned.
Bessent, who has been instrumental in facilitating economic partnerships between the U.S. and Ukraine under President Trump’s administration, detailed how Zelensky’s erratic behavior has put critical negotiations in jeopardy.
The agreement, which would have secured billions in U.S. aid in exchange for access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals, was expected to cement a stronger economic and strategic alliance between the two nations.
“This has to be one of the greatest diplomatic mishaps of all time by President Zelensky,” Bessent stated during his interview.
He recounted how Zelensky initially refused to sign the deal during a direct meeting with him in Kyiv. Subsequently, Zelensky dodged similar negotiations with Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“Laura Ingraham:
I know you had an economic meeting scheduled a few weeks back with President Zelensky. Tell us about his arrival and punctuality—or lack thereof. It seemed like he was a little sleepy during the events.Scott Bessent:
Yeah, Laura. I went all the way to Kyiv because I thought it was important. President Trump sent me there to, again, bring the Ukrainian people closer to the U.S. and send a strong signal to Russian leadership that we not only shared values but now shared economic interests. It was also a signal to the American people that their tax dollars were actually going to work.Instead, President Zelensky and I had a very, very tough 45-minute meeting at a very loud decibel level. I kept telling him, “Mr. President, the purpose of this is to show the Russians there is no daylight between us.” At the end of the meeting, he said, “Well, I’m not signing this.”
I asked him, “What do you want to go out and tell the press? Because I don’t want to go out and show the Russians there’s daylight between us.” He said, “Well, I’m going to go out and say I’ll sign it in Munich.”
Then he got to Munich, ran into Vice President Vance and Secretary Rubio—very different from Vice President Harris and Secretary Blinken—but he didn’t sign the agreement.
Finally, we were supposed to have the signing. It was supposed to be a great day, and this is one of the biggest own goals in diplomatic history.
[…]
But I have to tell you, Laura, today, I was shocked that he would behave like this on camera, in front of the world. If he had issues he wanted to bring up with President Trump, the proper venue for that would have been 15 minutes later. We were going to walk into the White House dining room and have lunch—just 16 of us—and he could have voiced his concerns privately.
I actually think the Democratic side of the ledger is saying, “Oh, this was a setup. Vice President Vance and President Trump set up President Zelensky.” I actually think he was always going to do this, and I think he was surprised by the forceful reaction he got back.”
WATCH:
Meanwhile, Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO) shared his insight on Zelensky’s actions, criticizing the Ukrainian president for his blatant disrespect toward the United States.
He wrote on X:
Zelenskyy could have signed the deal five days earlier but wanted to come to the White House.
He’d been difficult for two weeks. Yet he wanted the White House meeting. Trump was upbeat about it even just the day before publicly and privately the day of.
Although he could have reset the whole thing Zelenskyy was antagonistic and over the top.
There are no more cards to play. No more “it could be your sons next” or “one more year and we’ll have them on their knees.”
America has to move to our core interests now: Homeland and China.
All he had to do was smile for the cameras, sign the minerals deal and have lunch. That’s it. He couldn’t do it. He failed his country and the relatively standard practice for an Oval Office meeting like this.
There are now serious questions if we can even deal with him. He blew it.
He had a one foot putt but was more interested in litigating issues that should be discussed behind closed doors (and have been) in public.
It is in the national interest of the U.S. for there to be a peace deal. Now.
Trump ran on this. It’s not a surprise.
There will be no more money for war there. Not from us.
Now is the time for peace.”
e.
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SOURCE: www.thegatewaypundit.com
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