Zelensky rejected a detailed US proposal last week that would have seen Washington and US firms receiving 50% of Ukraine’s critical minerals.
The US has been the biggest source of military aid to Ukraine, including weapons, equipment and financial support, during Joe Biden’s term in the White House.
As European leaders are scrambling to find a way to end Russia’s three-year war, the US president is trying to strong-arm Volodymyr Zelensky into handing over Ukraine’s vast natural resources.
This raised during meetings between Keith Kellogg, the US special envoy for Ukraine, and Zelensky, said one of the anonymous sources, who was briefed on the talks.
Between the start of the full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022 and the end of 2024, the US gave £54.6 billion in military aid to Ukraine.
