Zelenskyy also said he would not bow to pressure from Washington to hand over $500bn worth of Ukraine’s minerals, adding: “I’m not signing something that 10 generations of Ukrainians are going to pay later.” Around $350bn worth of Ukraine’s critical resources are in areas captured by Russia, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister, Yulia Svyrydenko, told reporters.
The guests, also including European Council President Antonio Costa as well as the prime ministers of Northern European countries and Spain, were set to attend events dedicated to the anniversary and discuss supporting Ukraine amid a recent US policy shift under President Donald Trump.
António Costa, president of the European Council, wrote: “In Ukraine, about Ukraine, with Ukraine,” as he arrived in the capital.
Zelenskyy also revealed the Trump administration was asking Ukraine to pay back $2 for every $1 of military aid the US provides Ukraine going forward – an interest rate of 100%.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told his country’s people on Monday that he was proud of their ‘absolute heroism’ in fighting and living in the war that Russia started with its full-scale invasion exactly three years ago.
