Zelensky botching talks on resource deal with US – ex-president

The Ukrainian government’s attempts to negotiate a favorable rare-earths agreement with the US have backfired, sparking concerns about the country’s sovereignty, former President Pyotr Poroshenko has claimed.

In a post on X on Monday, Poroshenko charged that Vladimir Zelensky and his top negotiators are “clearly unable to cope with extremely serious challenges” posed by dialogue with the US regarding a deal that would grant Washington access to Ukrainian mineral deposits.

Poroshenko noted that the idea of a resource deal was first introduced by Zelensky, but “due to frankly unprofessional approaches, Ukraine lost the opportunity to fix the parameters of this agreement within the framework of a political memorandum.”

“As a result, the state of preparation of this document, which appeared in the press, already raises serious concerns as a threat, in particular, to state sovereignty and European integration,” the former president said. He claimed that further US military and financial assistance to Ukraine hinges on the success of the deal.

Poroshenko also warned that the back-and-forth around the deal had already triggered “anti-American hysteria” in Ukraine, which he said “is definitely not a constructive way to develop diplomatic solutions.”

To rectify the situation, Poroshenko suggested that the “Ukrainian negotiating delegation, which bears direct responsibility for the failure on the American direction, needs serious changes and professional strengthening.”

He also noted that the Ukrainian parliament could play a role in the process and table proposals for the American side, adding that he and his allies are demanding an urgent meeting on the matter.

Ukraine and the US were poised to sign a deal in late February, but the ceremony was derailed by a public clash between Zelensky and US President Donald Trump, who accused the Ukrainian leader of ingratitude and reluctance to make a peace deal with Russia.

In addition, while Trump has portrayed the deal as a way for Ukraine to pay back past US assistance, Zelensky has insisted that Kiev owes Washington nothing.

Last week, the Ukrainian leader said the new framework of the minerals deal now looks different from the one the sides wanted to sign in February, although he did not reject it.

Trump has suggested that Zelensky is trying to back out of the agreement, warning that he will have “big problems” if he does so.