President Trump demands ‘rare oil, earth’ and more as return for Ukraine aid
Trump's remarks came at a time when Ukraine and the US are attempting to close a deal to provide mineral resources in exchange for American wartime aid.
President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he wanted his money returned after the US extended billions of dollars in wartime aid to Ukraine in it's war against Russia, reported AFP.
Addressing the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) near Washington, he said, "I'm trying to get the money back, or secured. “I want them to give us something for all of the money that we put up. We're asking for rare earth and oil, anything we can get.”
He added, "We're going to get our money back because it's just not fair. And we will see, but I think we're pretty close to a deal, and we better be close because that has been a horrible situation."
Trump's remarks came at a time when Ukraine and the US are attempting to close a deal to provide mineral resources in exchange for the aid given the government during their period of conflict.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky reportedly was "not ready" to sign such a deal, despite growing US pressure, a source told new agency AFP.
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The United States has given Ukraine more than $60 billion in military aid since Russia's invasion, according to official figures. An estimate by the Kiel Institute revealed that the United States gave a total of 114.2 billion euros ($119.8 billion) in financial, humanitarian and military aid.
Trump-Zelensky deal
Donald Trump reportedly asked for “$500 billion worth” of rare earth minerals to be received as a return for the aid given to Ukraine.
trump's special envoy Keith Kellogg, who met Zelensky earlier this week, said that the Ukrainian president understood that it was “critical” to sign the deal, however, he still wanted assurances from America.
The relationship between the US and Ukraine has soured after President Donald Trump came to power, as talks between US-Russia on the conflict have excluded Ukrainian President Zelensky.
Trump has also referred to Zelensky as a “dictator” and blamed him for starting the country's war with Russia.
