Ukraine-Russia war latest: Zelensky ‘not ready’ to sign US minerals deal


Donald Trump’s aide tells Volodymyr Zelensky to ‘tone it down’ as US cancels Kyiv press conference

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Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky is not ready to sign a rare earth minerals deal with the US despite Donald Trump claiming an agreement was close, a Ukrainian source has said.

The US president has demanded preferential access to around $500bn of Ukraine’s rare earth minerals as repayment for his country’s military support, which has been provided to Kyiv by his predecessor Joe Biden over the last three years.

On Friday, Trump said Washington and Kyiv were close to a deal after days of mudslinging and threats in which he labelled Zelensky a “dictator” after Kyiv rejected the proposal as “unserious”.

“There are no American obligations in the agreement regarding guarantees or investments, everything about them is very vague, and they want to extract $500 billion from us,” the source said on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Zelensky demanded that Europe should be given a seat at any negotiating table with Russia after a “productive” talk with British prime minister Keir Starmer.

The US has so far only sat down with Russia in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for talks. Trump has dismissed the idea of Kyiv joining peace talks, claiming Zelensky “held no cards” and would only be an obstacle to peace.

US treasury secretary says economic partnership will protect Ukrainians and US taxpayers

An economic partnership between Ukraine and the US would benefit both countries, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said.

Writing in an opinion piece for the Financial Times on Saturday, Bessent said the US has proposed that revenue received by Ukraine’s government from natural resources, infrastructure and other assets would be allocated to a fund focused on the long-term reconstruction and development of Ukraine, with the US having economic and governance rights in those future investments.

An economic partnership between Ukraine and the US would benefit both countries, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Tara Cobham22 February 2025 19:09

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Alexander Butler22 February 2025 18:00

US could cut Ukraine’s access to Starlink internet services over minerals, say sources

US negotiators pressing Kyiv for access to Ukraine’s critical minerals have raised the possibility of cutting the country’s access to Elon Musk’s vital Starlink satellite internet system, three sources familiar with the matter have said.

Ukraine’s continued access to SpaceX-owned Starlink was brought up in discussions between US and Ukrainian officials after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky turned down an initial proposal from US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, the sources told Reuters.

Starlink provides crucial internet connectivity to war-torn Ukraine and its military.

The issue was raised again on Thursday during meetings between Keith Kellogg, the US special Ukraine envoy, and Zelensky, said one of the sources, who was briefed on the talks.

During the meeting, Ukraine was told it faced imminent shutoff of the service if it did not reach a deal on critical minerals, said the source, who requested anonymity to discuss closed negotiations.

“Ukraine runs on Starlink. They consider it their North Star,” said the source. “Losing Starlink … would be a massive blow.”

An antenna of the Starlink satellite-based broadband system donated by Elon Musk in Izyum in the Kharkiv region of Ukraine in the first year of Russia’s war
An antenna of the Starlink satellite-based broadband system donated by Elon Musk in Izyum in the Kharkiv region of Ukraine in the first year of Russia’s war (Getty Images)

Tara Cobham22 February 2025 17:43

Poland is paying for Ukraine’s Starlink subscription, its deputy PM says

Poland has said it has been paying for Ukraine’s Starlink subscription and will continue to do so despite sources saying the US could consider cutting Ukraine’s access to the satellite internet system.

US negotiators pressing Kyiv for access to Ukraine’s critical minerals have raised the possibility of cutting the country’s access to Elon Musk’s vital Starlink satellite internet system, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

Starlink provides crucial internet connectivity to the war-torn country and its military.

“We pay and will continue to pay a subscription fee for satellite internet for Ukraine,” Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski said in a post on Musk-owned social media platform X today.

“I cannot imagine that someone could decide to terminate a business contract for a commercial service to which Poland is a party,” added Gawkowski, who is also Poland’s digital affairs minister.

Tara Cobham22 February 2025 17:14

‘Russia is not winning’: Ukraine frontline soldiers say ‘weak’ Moscow should be negotiating with its back to the wall

Alexander Butler22 February 2025 17:00

Hungarians will decide whether Ukraine can join EU, Orban says

Hungary will be the one to decide whether Ukraine is able to achieve its hopes of joining the European Union in the future, Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban said today in an escalation of his adversarial posture toward Hungary’s war-ravaged neighbour.

Speaking at an annual State of the Nation address in Budapest to a closed circle of party members and supporters, Orban described Ukraine as a buffer zone between Russia and NATO countries, and predicted that, following a cessation of Moscow’s war, it would resume that role despite its ambitions to join the Western military alliance.

He added that whether Ukraine can one day join the 27-member EU “will be decided by the Hungarians”.

“Against the will of Hungary and the Hungarians, Ukraine will never be a member of the European Union,” Orban said. “Ukraine’s accession would destroy Hungarian farmers, and not only them, but the entire Hungarian national economy.”

Unanimity is required among leaders of all EU countries for accepting new members.

Orban, considered the Kremlin’s closest partner among EU leaders, has been the bloc’s primary impediment in its efforts to assist Ukraine in the country’s struggle to defend against Russia’s full-scale invasion. He has frequently criticized, and threatened to veto, EU sanctions against Russia over its aggression, but has ultimately always voted for them.

While Hungary, an EU and NATO member, has taken in Ukrainian refugees fleeing the conflict, it has also stood in the way of EU financial assistance to Kyiv and pushed for deeper economic and energy cooperation with Moscow despite the war.

Hungary will be the one to decide whether Ukraine is able to achieve its hopes of joining the European Union in the future, Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban said today
Hungary will be the one to decide whether Ukraine is able to achieve its hopes of joining the European Union in the future, Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban said today (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Tara Cobham22 February 2025 16:39

US top diplomat tells Ukraine Trump still wants to end conflict

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on Friday that US President Donald Trump remains committed to ending the conflict in Ukraine, a spokesperson for Rubio said today.

Tara Cobham22 February 2025 16:17

Russian forces capture another village in eastern Ukraine, Moscow claims

Russian forces have captured the village of Novolyubivka in Ukraine’s eastern Luhansk region, the Kremlin claimed.

It comes after Putin’s troops seized the three villages of Nadiivka, Novosilka and Novoocheretuvate, according to Russia’s defence ministry.

Moscow has previously been premature in claiming the capture of Ukrainian towns and villages.

Alexander Butler22 February 2025 16:00

Now the UK should think twice about sharing intelligence with America

Alexander Butler22 February 2025 15:30

Second US-Russia meeting to take place

A second meeting between representatives of Russia and the United States is planned for the next two weeks, the RIA state news agency reported on Saturday, citing Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov.

Moscow and Washington held their first talks on ending the nearly three-year war in Ukraine on Tuesday, aimed at restoring relations and preparing to conclude the conflict.

The meeting will take place in a third country and the specific location is being agreed upon, Ryabkov told RIA in an interview, without naming who would attend from the Russian or American sides.

Ryabkov said there was “principled agreement” on both sides to hold consultations to work out “the entire block of so-called irritants.”

Alexander Butler22 February 2025 15:00



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