Zelenskiy says US minerals proposal needs work, Turkish media report

19/2/2025 16:54

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was quoted on Wednesday as saying a U.S. proposal for a critical minerals deal was unfair as it did not include security guarantees, and he did not want Ukraine to become a hub for raw materials.



Last week Kyiv sent Washington a revised draft of an accord that could open up its vast resources of critical minerals to U.S. investment in order to help win U.S. support, amid concerns in Kyiv over an earlier U.S. version.



"I said 'this document is not ready, we will not sign this. You continue to work on this document," Zelenskiy was quoted as telling some Turkish media after talks in Ankara on Tuesday.



Zelenskiy had set out the contours of the deal in a Reuters interview this month. The minerals in question would include rare earth varieties, as well as titanium, uranium and lithium among others.



U.S. President Donald Trump, who has not committed to continuing vital military assistance to Ukraine, has said he wants $500 billion in rare earth minerals from Kyiv and that Washington's support needs to be "secured".