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.
Street clashes broke out for a second night in the Tunisian city of Kairouan after a man died following a police pursuit, raising fears of wider unres...
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan says international cooperation is essential for Syria’s recovery as investment slowly begins to return despite ...
Thailand’s caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Saturday (13 December) that Thai forces would continue military action along the Cam...
U.S. stock markets closed lower at the end of the week, as investors continued to rotate out of technology shares, putting pressure on major indices....
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has warned that without concrete concessions from Russia, such as limiting its military forces or curbing its defe...
Two U.S. Army soldiers and a U.S. civilian interpreter were killed, and three other service members wounded, after an ISIS gunman ambushed a joint U.S.-Syrian patrol near Palmyra in central Syria, Pentagon officials said.
Venezuela’s oil shipments have plunged following the United States’ seizure of a tanker earlier this week.
Time Magazine has chosen the creators behind artificial intelligence as its 2025 Person of the Year, highlighting the technology’s sweeping impact on global business, politics and daily life.
U.S. President Donald Trump has formally launched a scheme offering fast-tracked U.S. visas to foreigners who can pay at least $1 million — or companies willing to spend $2 million to sponsor a worker they want to bring into the country.
The Oligarch’s Design is an investigative documentary exploring how financial power, political influence and carefully constructed narratives can shape conflict and public perception.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reiterated his offer to host Ukraine-Russia peace talks in Ankara, at his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The talks took place on the sidelines of the international Forum for Peace and Trust in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, on Friday (12 December).
Iranian authorities have seized a foreign tanker carrying more than 6 million litres of smuggled fuel in the Sea of Oman.
Russian forces struck Ukraine’s southern port city of Odesa for a second consecutive day on Saturday (13 December), deploying Kinzhal hypersonic missiles for the first time in the conflict, Ukrainian authorities said.
A bulk carrier owned by a Turkish company was struck during a Russian attack on Ukraine’s southern coast on Friday.
Street clashes broke out for a second night in the Tunisian city of Kairouan after a man died following a police pursuit, raising fears of wider unrest as the country nears the anniversary of the 2011 revolution.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan says international cooperation is essential for Syria’s recovery as investment slowly begins to return despite the scale of destruction after years of conflict.
Thailand’s caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Saturday (13 December) that Thai forces would continue military action along the Cambodia border until Bangkok believes there is no longer a threat to Thai territory or civilians.
U.S. stock markets closed lower at the end of the week, as investors continued to rotate out of technology shares, putting pressure on major indices.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has warned that without concrete concessions from Russia, such as limiting its military forces or curbing its defence budget, new conflicts could erupt elsewhere, even if Ukraine receives security guarantees.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment