Donald Trump (L) and Russian Vladimir Putin come to a joint press conference after a meeting at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, July 16, 2018.
Yuri Kadobnov AFP Getty images
US President Donald Trump suggested that Ukraine may lose his sovereignty towards Russia and said that he wants compensation for the help that Washington gave Ukraine.
“(Ukraine) may conclude a contract. May not conclude a contract. They may be a Russian one day or they are once not Russians. But we will have all this money there (Ukraine) and I say, I want it back – said Trump in Fox News interview It was broadcast on Monday.
The president also said that the US “basically agreed” a contract with Ukraine, in which Washington would receive rare and mineral resources – which are mainly used in electronics – in exchange for continuous support.
“I told them that I wanted an equivalent of about $ 500 billion in rare land (minerals) and they generally agreed to do it,” said Trump for the sender.
Ukraine did not publicly commented on the values of potential minerals from the USA, although President Volodymyr Zelensky stated last week that he was Ready to “conclude a contract” with the USA with minerals in exchange for help. CNBC contacted the Zelenskyy office for a comment.
The Ukrainian leader is aware that Trump and older foreign officials and the defense of the US want to raise the war and that they want to conclude a contract with Moscow to make it happen.
This position was removed to Ukraine, giving the need for urgency the need for a stick to seem to be ready to negotiate and be susceptible to Washington's proposals regarding a peace agreement.
Among the perceived fatigue of his key ally and the third anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine quickly approaching February 24, the leadership in Kiev said that he was ready to conduct peace conversations, but demanded a guarantee of security under each peace agreement.
Europe must “have” a conflict
Trump's comments appear when the European allies of Ukraine are probably under pressure this week to take a greater burden on Kiev support in the future.
The US Department of State says America So far, he has provided Ukraine $ 65.9 billion and billions more in financial and humanitarian aid, because Russia began the invasion in 2022. is EUR 48.3 billion ($ 49.8 billion).
The more and more burdened issue of constant support for Ukraine is occupied by a central place this week, with senior US officials – including vice president JD Vance, secretary of state Marco Rubio and Keith Kellogg, a special envoy of Trump in Ukraine and Russia – they travel to Europe in search of flurry of loud meetings .
The first of these meetings will be on Wednesday “defensive Ukraine” (UDCG) in Brussels, during which the US delegation is widely expected to call European allies to take more financial responsibility for supporting Ukraine.
National Security Advisor Mike Waltz said NBC News “Meet the Press” On Sunday, American officials would benefit from the UDCG meeting to carry out a contract with Kijiv about help and force European partners to be more responsible for the future of Ukraine.
“We must regain the costs that will be a partnership with the Ukrainians in terms of their natural resources as well as oil and gas, as well as buying ours,” Waltz said on Sunday.
“These conversations will take place this week. I think that the basic rule is that Europeans must have this conflict in the future. President Trump will end it. And then, when it comes to security guarantees, it is in a simple way that it runs to be exactly with Europeans. “
Ukrainian soldiers of the Carpathian Sich in the basement towards Tetretk in Ukraine, February 7, 2025.
Anadol Anadol Getty images
In a clear sign that the US wants to withdraw from the leadership role in Ukraine, Great Britain calls UCDG. Defense Secretary Pete HegeSth participates in the event, but it was the first time in the last three years he has not chaired the group.
Said Pentagon in a statement Before meeting UDCG HegeSeth, “will cooperate with NATO allies and partners in order to discuss the need to increase expenditure on defense of the Allied, increase European leadership and expand the industrial defense capacity on both sides of the Atlantic.”
HegeSeth “will repeat the involvement of President Trump for a diplomatic ending in the war in Ukraine as soon as possible. It will also emphasize the need for increased European leadership in the field of security assistance in Ukraine. “
CNBC asked Pentagon for further comment, but the Department of Defense would not be based on what American officials can demand from their European counterparts this week. The spokesman for the Pentagon told CNBC that no serious policy advertisements were expected.
Conversation status
It is also expected that American officials go to Kiev this week before he goes to Germany to a security conference in Munich in February 14-16. Zelenskyy said he was to meet Vance at a conference and hoped to talk to President Trump this week.
The US leader on Monday said that Zelenskyy and Russian president Vladimir Putin willingly concluded a contract. Russia was more shy in terms of the status of dialogue with the USA, saying that it is ready to negotiate. CNBC asked for further comments from the Kremlin.
“He (Zelenskyy) wants to conclude a contract. I would say. We deal with him and I think they both want to conclude a contract. But we will have to see, “Trump told reporters on Monday evening, according to NBC News.
“You have to do it. It would never happen if I was a president. That would never happen. Millions of people are dead, “Trump said, confirming that Keith Kellogg would also be in Ukraine this week.
(Combination) This combination of photos created on November 07, 2024 is shown by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky (L) to organize a press conference on the side line of the EU summit in Brussels, October 17, 2024 and former US president and republican president, candidate Donald Trump ( L) arrives in a speech during the campaign rally at JS Dorton Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina, November 4, 2024.
Ludovic Marinryan M. Kelly | AFP Getty images
President Zelenskyy confirmed that talks had taken place, stating on Monday that “our teams are working on our dialogue, on the conversation between me and President Trump. He talked about it and I don't think there were secrets in it. Question. The question is when this happens, depending on the possibilities of both sides – he said, according to NBC News.
“When it comes to whether (Putin and Tramp) communicates – well, we will see who, how and if it is happening,” said Zelenskyy.