Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he is not willing to cave in to intense US pressure to sign a $500bn minerals deal and that he wants Donald Trump to be “on our side” in negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.
Steve Witkoff, one of Trump’s special envoys, hinted on Sunday in a separate interview with CBS News that a motivation for Washington for seeking a Ukraine peace deal was so that American companies would be able to do business again in Russia, which is under sanctions.
He said the figure was far higher than the US’s actual military contribution of $100bn, and pointed out that both parties in the US Congress and the then president Joe Biden had approved the support in the wake of Russia’s attack.
Zelenskyy said any deal was contingent on the US administration providing security guarantees to stop Russia from violating any future ceasefire – something it has so far refused to do.
Zelenskyy said it was not possible to reach a meaningful peace deal without Ukraine’s involvement, or without the participation of the EU, the UK and other strategic partners.
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