Trump backs Putin's peace promise, warns Ukraine on deal
On Sunday, U.S. President Donald Trump declared that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is attempting to withdraw from a resource agreement and warned that he would face "big problems." He also believed Russian President Vladimir Putin desired peace and would not break his word.
Trump discussed the positions of the leaders of Ukraine and Russia during peace talks while speaking to journalists on his return from Florida to Washington on Air Force One.
When asked about his earlier comments to NBC, where he threatened Vladimir Putin with imposing "secondary tariffs" if a ceasefire was not reached due to Russia's actions, Trump emphasized that he still believes in the goodwill of the Russian president.
I don’t think he’s going to go back on his word. You’re talking about Putin. I don’t think he’s going to go back on his word. I’ve known him for a long time. We’ve always gotten along well," said the U.S. president, noting that the "Russiagate" scandal during his first term did not harm their good relations. However, he admitted he was "disappointed" by the Russian president's remarks questioning the credibility and legitimacy of the Ukrainian leader.
- Having to do with Zelenskyy because when he considers Zelenskyy not credible — he’s supposed to be making a deal with him, whether you like him or you don’t like him. So I wasn’t happy with that. But I think he’s going to be good - he said.
In his NBC interview, Trump clarified that "secondary tariffs" would target countries purchasing oil from Russia.
Despite his frustration, Trump assessed on board Air Force One that he doesn't believe the Russians are trying to deceive him, stating that Putin "wants to make a deal." However, he singled out Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, whom he believes is attempting to back out of a U.S. agreement concerning exploiting Ukraine's mineral resources.
- I see he’s trying to back out of the rare earth deall. And if he does that he’s got some problems. Big, big problems. 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. Well, he was never going to be a member of NATO. He understands that. So if he's looking to renegotiate the deal, he's got big problems - Trump said.
New version of the deal. Kyiv seeks significant changes
According to reports from sources such as the Financial Times and Bloomberg, the United States asked Kyiv to renegotiate the previously agreed but unsigned resource agreement text. The new version proposed by the U.S. seeks to give America extensive control over the exploitation, sale, and profit generation from Ukrainian natural resources.
According to Bloomberg, Ukraine will demand substantial changes to this document because its current form may jeopardize Kyiv's aspirations for integration with the European Union. Additionally, the document's contents suggest that Ukrainians would need to repay the United States for the financial and military aid Washington provided to Kyiv's authorities since Russia's full-scale military invasion began.
