Washington:
US President Donald Trump, on Sunday (local time), addressed Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s intentions regarding the rare earth deal with the US and his aspirations for NATO membership.
Trump warned that Zelenskyy could face “big problems” if he attempts to back out of the agreement, suggesting that Zelenskyy’s push to renegotiate the deal is tied to Ukraine’s NATO ambitions, which Trump dismissed outright.
Speaking to reporters, Trump said, “I think he wants to make a deal. And I think Zelenskyy, by the way, I see he’s trying to back out of the rare earth deal. And if he does that, he’s got some problems. Big, big problems.”
“We made a deal on rare earth, and now he’s saying, well, you know, I want to renegotiate the deal. He wants to be a member of NATO. Well, he was never going to be a member of NATO. He understands that,” Trump elaborated.
“So if he’s looking to renegotiate the deal, he’s got big problems,” he added, emphasising the potential consequences of altering the existing agreement.
According to CNN, the Rare Earth Deal is an agreement between the two nations where the US will be tapping into the rare mineral resources of Ukraine in exchange for USD 350 billion, military equipment and ‘the right to fight on”.
When asked if his relationship with Russian Vladimir Putin was at its lowest point amid the Russia-Ukraine war, Trump said that he doesn’t think so and that they have always “got along well”.
“No, I don’t think so. I don’t think he’s going to go back on his word. You’re talking about Putin. I don’t think he’s going to go back on his word. I’ve known him for a long time. We’ve always gotten along well, despite the Russia, Russia, Russia hoax,” Trump said.
Meanwhile, Trump issued a stern warning to the Russian President giving him two options: to either cooperate on ending the Ukraine war or face additional tariffs on Russian oil, CNN reported.
During a telephone interview with NBC news, Trump stated he’s “pissed off” with Putin’s actions and may impose additional tariffs on Russian oil if Putin doesn’t cooperate in ongoing negotiations to end his war in Ukraine.
“I was very angry – pissed off – when Putin started getting into Zelensky’s credibility, because that’s not going in the right location, you understand?” Trump said in the interview with “Meet the Press” host Kristen Welker.
“But new leadership means you’re not going to have a deal for a long time, right?” Trump said.
Trump further warned that a failure to reach a deal could result in significant consequences, including secondary tariffs on Russian oil, as per CNN.