
'We're going to get our money back' — Trump on US-Ukraine resources deal
"I want them to give us something for all of the money that we put up," Trump said on Feb. 22. "We're asking for rare earth and oil — anything we can get."
"I want them to give us something for all of the money that we put up," Trump said on Feb. 22. "We're asking for rare earth and oil — anything we can get."
The terms of the revised proposal are virtually the same as those of an earlier version rejected by President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to a draft dated Feb. 21.
Sikorski said their meeting was "substantial and cordial" and it "confirmed the durability of the Polish-American alliance," Polish RMF FM reported.
The phone call comes amid growing concerns in Kyiv and among European allies about Washington's shifting stance on the war.
The U.S. first raised the prospect of shutting off Starlink service after Zelensky rejected the deal presented on Feb. 12. Starlink terminals are critical in securing Ukraine's battlefield communications.
The new U.S. resolution mourns the casualties of the "Russia-Ukraine conflict" and "implores a swift end" to hostilities, according to a draft obtained by Reuters.
"Russia attacked, but they shouldn't have let him attack," U.S. President Donald Trump said on Feb. 21, after previously blaming Ukraine for starting the war.
"I think (the Ukrainians) want it. They feel good about it, and it's a significant — it's a big deal, but they want it, and it keeps us in that country, and they're very happy about it."
Ukrainian and U.S. officials negotiated a mineral deal all night into the morning on Feb. 21 amid a rift between the two nations over the agreement, Axios reported.
"This is the Russian narrative; this is how Putin has presented it for years, and I'm frankly shocked that Donald Trump has now apparently embraced it himself," German opposition leader and chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz said.
"Canada is not ready for a change in the membership of the G7 and is standing its ground," Canadian Ambassador to Ukraine Natalka Cmoc said.
"President Zelensky is going to sign that deal, and you will see that in the very short term," U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz said.
Editor’s Note: This op-ed was first published by the Ukrainian NGO Civil Network OPORA as an open statement, which garnered nearly 300 signatures at the time it was published by the Kyiv Independent. Democracy during wartime must be protected even more than in peacetime, as the consequences of mistakes
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said this in reaction to an article by the Financial Times claiming that during the talks in Riyadh on Feb. 18, Russian delegates asked for the NATO rollback as a condition for "normalizing relations."
"The only way is to test them (Russia), to basically engage them and say, okay, are you serious about ending the war, and if so, what are your demands. Are your public demands and your private demands different?" U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said. "It may turn out that they don’t want to end the war."
Beijing is prepared "to play a constructive role in the political settlement of the crisis," the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement during the G20 foreign ministers meeting.
The informal meetings were described as "track two meetings," a type of unofficial diplomacy meant to lower tension, three unnamed sources told Reuters.
"A meeting that restores hope, and we need strong agreements with America — agreements that will really work," President Volodymyr Zelensky said after meeting with U.S. Special Envoy Keith Kellogg.
"This is a negotiation. And in a negotiation, you negotiate. Ukraine wants to negotiate minerals, so we're talking about it," a White House official was quoted as saying.
Within weeks of U.S. President Donald Trump saying he wanted to do a deal with Kyiv on its “rare earths and other things,” it became clear the U.S. wasn’t just interested in Ukraine’s critical minerals and rare earth elements. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent visited
The U.S. delegation reportedly rejected the demand, but concerns remain over what concessions President Donald Trump might consider to secure a deal on ending war with Russia.
A looming dropoff in U.S. weapons deliveries is threatening to strain Ukraine’s budding domestic arms production to the breaking point. As U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration prepares negotiations with their Russian counterparts, Ukrainians fear being cut out of negotiations — and cut off from future U.S.
The meeting in Kyiv was expected to be followed by a press briefing, but Washington requested that no joint statements be made, Zelensky's spokesperson, Serhii Nykyforov, told reporters.
"They need to tone it down and take a hard look and sign that deal," U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz told Fox News.
"In previous years, the United States has consistently co-sponsored such resolutions in support of a just peace in Ukraine," a source told Reuters.
The sources told Reuters that Trump wants to make a deal before potentially authorizing more U.S. military aid for Kyiv or moving forward with an attempt to broker formal Ukraine-Russia peace talks.
"I think the Russians want to see the war end, I really do. I think they have the cards a little bit, because they've taken a lot of territory. They have the cards," U.S. President Donald Trump said.
"I think I’m gonna resurrect that deal, you know, we'll see what happens, but I’m gonna resurrect it or things are gonna not make him (President Volodymyr Zelensky) too happy," U.S. President Donald Trump said.
"Ukraine has been defending itself against Russia's merciless war of aggression for almost three years... And it is simply wrong and dangerous to deny President Zelensky's democratic legitimacy," German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on X.
Key developments on Feb. 19: * Trump calls Zelensky 'dictator,' warns of Ukraine's demise without elections * Reported drone strike against Russian oil refinery in Samara Oblast causes fire * Ukraine refutes Putin's claims of Russian offensive from Kursk Oblast * North Korean troops in Russia reportedly told they're fighting South Korean forces
Editor's note: The interview has been edited for clarity. Storm clouds are intensifying in Europe as Ukraine approaches the fourth year of the full-scale war with Russia. Initial hopes that U.S. President Donald Trump's new administration might adopt the "peace through strength" approach towards Moscow are beginning to unravel
"The idea that Zelensky is going to change the president's mind by badmouthing him in public media — everyone who knows the president will tell you that is an atrocious way to deal with this administration," U.S. Vice President JD Vance said.