President Trump accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of trying to “back out” of signing the critical minerals deal with the US — warning of “big problems” if he does.
“He’s trying to back out of the rare earth deal and if he does that he’s got some problems, big, big problems,” Trump told reporters on Sunday on Air Force One.
“He wants to be a member of NATO, but he’s never going to be a member of NATO. He understands that.”
The White House has been pushing Kyiv to accept the agreement, which would see Ukraine share its rich mineral deposits with the US.
Trump has characterized the deal as a repayment for the billions of aid the US has given Ukraine over the past three years.
Last week, the two countries issued a joint statement saying they had agreed to conclude a comprehensive agreement as soon as possible.
The development was a sharp turnaround from Trump and Zelensky’s widely publicized dust-up in the Oval Office last month when their meeting threw the deal into limbo.
Zelensky, for his part, has said Kyiv’s lawyers need to review the draft agreement before he can say more about the US offer.
With Post wires
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