U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy wants to back out of a critical minerals deal, warning the Ukrainian leader would face big problems if he did, Reuters reports.
"He's trying to back out of the rare earth deal and if he does that he’s got some problems, big, big problems," Trump told reporters.
"He wants to be a member of NATO, but he's never going to be a member of NATO. He understands that."
Ukraine will ask for changes to a sweeping new economic deal proposed by President Donald Trump, including a pledge for more US investment, according to a person familiar with the matter,
Bloomberg reports.
A draft proposal seen by Bloomberg News would grant Washington control over all major future infrastructure and mineral investments in the war-torn country — and with no time limit attached. Kyiv is concerned that the deal may not only undermine its bid to join the European Union, but would require it to repay all US military and economic support provided since the start of the war.
