‘Ukraine Is Not a Third World Country’: Zelenskyy Criticises US Approach to Minerals Deal
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy believes that US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who is responsible for negotiating the so-called subsoil deal with Ukraine, will not be able to put pressure on him on this issue.
The Gaze reports on this with reference to Suspilne and Ukrinform.
At a meeting with journalists on 9 April, Zelenskyy was asked to comment on Bessent's statements in a recent interview with Tucker Carlson, where he said that the Ukrainian president had ‘disrupted’ the signing of the subsoil deal and was ‘receiving imperfect advice’ from his entourage.
In response, the head of state suggested that the US Treasury Secretary's problem was ‘his approach’.
‘He said, ‘You have to sign it now’. I will not hide it: I have different traits, just like every person here. My colleagues know that tapping their fingers on the contract and saying, ‘You have to sign it now’ - I could only tell him, ‘Stop tapping your finger and let's talk substantively,’’ Zelenskyy said.
‘He probably expected a different dialogue, but I do not consider Ukraine a Third World country. I believe that we should communicate on an equal footing,’ he added.
As the media reported, the administration of US President Donald Trump has returned to the version of the subsoil agreement a requirement for Ukraine to reimburse all the assistance the US provided after the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.
As The Gaze reported previously, on 11-12 April, the Ukrainian delegation will hold technical consultations in Washington with the administration of President Donald Trump on an agreement on access to minerals.
The framework agreement on minerals between Ukraine and the US is ready and a detailed document with specific figures is planned to be developed in the future.
According to President Zelenskyy, there is already an updated draft of the subsoil agreement with the US. It is a completely different document compared to the previous ones, but it contains points that Ukraine had previously rejected.