Putin confirms Russia’s readiness to continue Ukraine talks with Trump
Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated Moscow’s readiness to continue peace negotiations with Ukraine during a telephone conversation with US P...
ANKARA, Feb 19 (Reuters) - President Volodymyr Zelenskiyy was quoted on Wednesday as saying a U.S. proposal for a critical minerals deal was unfair as it did not include security guarantees, and he did not want Ukraine to become a hub for raw materials.
Last week Kyiv sent Washington a revised draft of an accord that could open up its vast resources of critical minerals to U.S. investment in order to help win U.S. support, amid concerns in Kyiv over an earlier U.S. version.
"I said 'this document is not ready, we will not sign this. You continue to work on this document," Zelenskiyy was quoted as telling some Turkish media after talks in Ankara on Tuesday.
"I am always open to you investing in our country, in our natural resources... But if we are to give something, we have to receive something," he was quoted as saying by state-owned Anadolu news agency.
"We don't want to become a centre of raw materials for any continent."
Zelenskiyy had set out the contours of the deal in a Reuters interview this month. The minerals in question would include rare earth varieties, as well as titanium, uranium and lithium among others.
U.S. President Donald Trump, who has not committed to continuing vital military assistance to Ukraine, has said he wants $500 billion in rare earth minerals from Kyiv and that Washington's support needs to be "secured".
Zelenskiyy's visit to Ankara coincided with a meeting between U.S. and Russian officials in Riyadh, without Ukrainians, over the war in Ukraine.
Zelenskiyy said he believed Ukraine had support in Washington but that he wanted to see more backing from Trump.
"We see (the U.S.) have removed Putin from his political isolation, but that is their own decision. But when you say 'these are our plans to end the war', this raises questions for us. Where are we? Where on the negotiating table are we? This war is taking place inside Ukraine," he said.
"There should be people at the negotiating table who can stop (Russian President Vladimir) Putin if he wants to return to war. And they must be able to give us real - not just promises - and concrete security guarantees. We are ready for such a dialogue," he was quoted as saying.
The U.S. economy faces a 40% risk of recession in the second half of 2025, JP Morgan analysts said on Wednesday, citing rising tariffs and stagflation concerns.
A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck off Japan’s Tokara Islands on Wednesday, with no tsunami warning issued but residents advised to remain vigilant.
The United States has rescinded licensing restrictions on ethane exports to China, allowing shipments to resume after a temporary halt and signalling progress in efforts to ease recent trade tensions.
The European Commission is set to propose allowing carbon credits from other countries to count towards the EU’s 2040 climate target, according to a leaked internal document.
China has ramped up efforts to protect communities impacted by flood control measures, introducing stronger compensation policies and direct aid from the central government.
At least seven people remain missing following a massive explosion at a fireworks warehouse in the town of Esparto, Northern California, according to a report by NBC News citing local officials.
A delegation from Azerbaijan, led by MP Qaya Məmmədov, took part in the annual session of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA), held from 28 June to 3 July in Porto, Portugal.
Chinese scientists have unveiled PlantGPT, the first large language model-based artificial intelligence designed specifically for plant functional genomics.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday warned that the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip has reached a critical level and called for an immediate and lasting ceasefire. He emphasised that vital infrastructure is on the verge of collapse due to a severe fuel shortage.
The US House of Representatives approved a significant tax-cut and spending bill on Thursday, passing it by a narrow margin of 218 to 214. The legislation has now been sent to President Donald Trump for his signature.
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