Zelenskyy refuses to budge to Trump: “I’m not signing”
Hans Österman
Updated 12.52 | Published 06.18
Quick versionZelenskyy sharpens his tone against Trump.
On Sunday, he defied the White House’s previous warnings and criticized the mineral deal publicly.
He also revealed several details from the negotiations.
All weekend, Donald Trump and his staff have been drumming out the message that Zelenskyy is about to say yes to a deal in which the United States will gain control of Ukrainian natural resources.
“I want them to give us something for all the money we’ve put in. So we’re asking for rare earths and oil. Anything we can get. I think we’re pretty close to a deal,” Trump said at the annual CPAC conference on Saturday.
The day before, his national security adviser Mike Waltz went even further.
“Here’s the thing: President Zelenskyy will sign the agreement and you’ll see that very soon,” he said, according to The Guardian.
On Saturday, the New York Times reported that a revised version of the agreement was even tougher on Ukraine on several points. At the same time, Axios stated that some wording had been deleted to avoid conflict with Ukrainian law and that advisers close to Zelensky had urged him to sign to avoid further conflict with Trump.
- President Zelenskyy has sharpened his tone against Trump and criticized a mineral deal that would give the US control over Ukrainian natural resources.
- Zelenskyy claims that the amounts Trump has claimed are incorrect and also viewed previous support from the US as Ukrainian “debts”, which he rejects.
- Zelenskyy has put forward demands for security guarantees, including EU membership, and emphasizes that any agreement must benefit both countries and that Trump is not a permanent leader.
On Sunday, he defied the White House’s previous warnings and criticized the mineral deal publicly.
He also revealed several details from the negotiations.
All weekend, Donald Trump and his staff have been drumming out the message that Zelenskyy is about to say yes to a deal in which the United States will gain control of Ukrainian natural resources.
“I want them to give us something for all the money we’ve put in. So we’re asking for rare earths and oil. Anything we can get. I think we’re pretty close to a deal,” Trump said at the annual CPAC conference on Saturday.
The day before, his national security adviser Mike Waltz went even further.
“Here’s the thing: President Zelenskyy will sign the agreement and you’ll see that very soon,” he said, according to The Guardian.
Details: Tougher
Zelenskyy had earlier rejected an initial American draft in February on the grounds that he “can’t sell his country.”On Saturday, the New York Times reported that a revised version of the agreement was even tougher on Ukraine on several points. At the same time, Axios stated that some wording had been deleted to avoid conflict with Ukrainian law and that advisers close to Zelensky had urged him to sign to avoid further conflict with Trump.
Toughened the tone
On Sunday, Zelensky held a press conference in Kiev where he hit back hard. In the early reporting, international media focused mainly on his statement that he was prepared to resign if Ukraine joined NATO.But he said much more than that and significantly toughened the tone against Trump and the United States.
The amounts
He turned against American information that the agreement would be worth $500 billion and said, according to the exiled russian Meduza, that amount is no longer mentioned in the negotiations. He also shot down Trump's previous claim that the United States had sent aid worth $350 billion. The correct figure is around 100 billion, according to Zelensky.
Previous aid
He protested against the US getting the agreement through as compensation for previous aid. He said that both parties in Congress and then-President Biden had approved the aid as a gift and not a loan, writes The Guardian. According to the AP, he also stated that Ukraine “does not recognize that there is any debt” and that it “will not be included in the final agreement”.
– I am not signing something that ten generations of Ukrainians will have to pay later, he said, according to The Guardian.
The conditions
Zelensky revealed that for every dollar in aid, the US wants two dollars back. Rhetorically, he wondered if the same high interest rate applies when the US sells weapons to countries like Israel and Qatar.
– I have asked for an explanation, but I have not received one, Zelensky said, according to The Guardian.
- Why would I be offended? A dictator would be offended by being called a dictator. Presidential elections will be held in Ukraine when martial law is abolished, he said, according to Meduza.
He protested against the US getting the agreement through as compensation for previous aid. He said that both parties in Congress and then-President Biden had approved the aid as a gift and not a loan, writes The Guardian. According to the AP, he also stated that Ukraine “does not recognize that there is any debt” and that it “will not be included in the final agreement”.
– I am not signing something that ten generations of Ukrainians will have to pay later, he said, according to The Guardian.
The conditions
Zelensky revealed that for every dollar in aid, the US wants two dollars back. Rhetorically, he wondered if the same high interest rate applies when the US sells weapons to countries like Israel and Qatar.
– I have asked for an explanation, but I have not received one, Zelensky said, according to The Guardian.
The response to the attack
He also responded to Trump's attack this week that Zelensky is "a dictator" for not holding elections during an ongoing war.- Why would I be offended? A dictator would be offended by being called a dictator. Presidential elections will be held in Ukraine when martial law is abolished, he said, according to Meduza.
Words aboutTrump
Zelensky said that a peace must last for several years and that a deal with the United States must benefit both countries. He also looked beyond the current president and said, according to Meduza, that Trump "is not forever."
Three demands
He called for security guarantees and, according to Meduza, gave three examples: EU membership, money equivalent to 800,000 Ukrainian soldiers and an international peacekeeping force. The money is already there in the form of frozen Russian assets in the West, he said:
- It's our money. Our money. Not ours and our partners'.
Zelensky said that a peace must last for several years and that a deal with the United States must benefit both countries. He also looked beyond the current president and said, according to Meduza, that Trump "is not forever."
Three demands
He called for security guarantees and, according to Meduza, gave three examples: EU membership, money equivalent to 800,000 Ukrainian soldiers and an international peacekeeping force. The money is already there in the form of frozen Russian assets in the West, he said:
- It's our money. Our money. Not ours and our partners'.
Defied warnings
Zelenskyy said on Wednesday, in response to several false claims byTrump, that the US president is living in a disinformation bubble.This prompted several high-ranking officials in the White House to come down hard on the Ukrainian leader. Vice President JD Vance said that Zelenskyy should keep quiet and not criticize Trump because it is “disrespectful and counterproductive”:
– The idea that Zelenskyy would change the president’s mind by speaking ill of him in the media – anyone who knows the president will tell you that is a terrible way to handle this administration.
Mike Waltz used similar language. He urged Zelenskyy to “tone down” in his criticism. He also said, according to The Guardian, that “some of the rhetoric from Kiev was unacceptable insults to President Trump.”
“Doing business in Russia”
In that light, it is safe to assume that Zelenskyy’s public statements on Sunday will not go down well in Washington. So far, however, no one from the White House has commented on them.Steve Witkoff, Trump's old golf buddy and his special envoy for Ukraine, however, hinted on Sunday that the US desire to end the now three-year war is partly driven by the hunger for Russian money.
“If we reach a peace agreement, of course there will be an expectation that American companies can come back and do business there. I think everyone would think that was a positive and good thing,” he said, according to The Guardian.
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