US treasury secretary says Zelensky ‘blew up’ minerals agreement
(MENAFN) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s public disagreement with U.S. President Donald Trump caused the collapse of a potential minerals deal between the two countries, according to U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. In an interview with Tucker Carlson, Bessent explained that Zelensky's confrontational tone in their February 2019 Oval Office meeting derailed what should have been an easy agreement. Bessent described Zelensky as a “performer” and suggested that he was an ordinary person who found himself in a difficult situation, not always receiving the best advice from his team.
Zelensky’s clash with Trump led to the cancellation of a crucial US-Ukraine minerals deal, with Bessent stating that the Ukrainian president “blew up” the opportunity. Following this, Trump accused Zelensky of trying to pressure the U.S. into committing long-term aid for Ukraine's fight. This tension was followed by a temporary freeze on U.S. military aid and intelligence sharing until Zelensky agreed to an unconditional ceasefire.
After U.S.-mediated talks in Saudi Arabia, Ukraine and Russia reached a temporary ceasefire on energy infrastructure attacks. However, the Russian Defense Ministry has since accused Ukraine of violating the ceasefire, escalating attacks on energy-related sites despite earlier commitments.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
