Kyiv: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has confirmed that a revised proposal from the United States regarding access to Ukraine’s critical minerals significantly differs from the previous draft presented by Washington.
Speaking at a press briefing on Friday, Zelenskyy stated that the new framework had been formally submitted to his office and would be assessed in comparison with earlier plans discussed by Deputy Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko during bilateral meetings with US officials.
“The structure of the agreement has changed. We need to analyze it before making any further statements,” Zelenskyy said in Kyiv.
Zelenskyy also firmly rejected the notion that US military aid should be treated as a loan requiring repayment.
“We are thankful for the support, but this is not a credit. We will not allow it to be classified as such,” he stated, without clarifying if this issue was addressed in the updated US proposal.
His remarks come amid a complicated diplomatic situation following a dispute with US President Donald Trump last month, which led Washington to suspend previously agreed military aid and halt intelligence-sharing with Ukraine.
With Trump now pushing to end the conflict quickly and aligning US policy more closely with Russia’s narrative on the war, Ukraine faces increased pressure in its negotiations.
Addressing potential negotiations with Moscow, Zelenskyy indicated that Ukraine might consider dialogue with Russian representatives who present a credible plan to end the war. However, he ruled out any direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
His comments follow a controversial suggestion from Putin, who proposed placing Ukraine under temporary external governance as part of a peace settlement. The Russian leader argued that Zelenskyy’s mandate had expired and that any agreement signed under his leadership could be contested in the future.
Putin suggested that international supervision—potentially involving the United Nations, the US, and European nations—could oversee Ukraine’s governance, organize elections, and install a new government before negotiating a peace treaty.
However, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres dismissed this idea outright, asserting that “Ukraine has a legitimate government, and that must be respected.”
