Rubio also expressed surprise at what he described as Zelenskyy’s lack of 'gratitude' for the nearly $200 billion in economic and military aid provided by the US. (Photos: AP)US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of attempting to “hustle” the United States by publicly rejecting a deal regarding Ukraine’s rare-earth minerals, while privately indicating willingness to discuss it with Kyiv’s legislature, reported New York Post.Rubio claimed that Zelenskyy’s actions frustrated him, Vice President JD Vance, and Russia-Ukraine special envoy Keith Kellogg following their meeting with the Ukrainian leader at the Munich Security Conference.The discussions centred on a $500 billion economic investment deal, which the Trump administration has framed as a security guarantee for Kyiv.“I was personally very upset,” Rubio told journalist Catherine Herridge in a video interview posted on X. “We discussed this issue about the mineral rights, and we explained to them, ‘Look, we want to be in joint venture with you, not because we’re trying to steal from your country, but because we think that’s actually a security guarantee.’”EXCLUSIVE: Our full, unedited interview with Secretary of State Marco Rubio(@SecRubio) on his first 30 days leading the Department.Restarting U.S./Russia relations following the Biden Administration, direct engagement with Ukraine, U.S. proposal for Gaza, preventing Iranian… pic.twitter.com/cxkHmNZWw0— Catherine Herridge (@C__Herridge) February 21, 2025Rubio and Vance call for transparency in negotiationsRubio also expressed surprise at what he described as Zelenskyy’s lack of “gratitude” for the nearly $200 billion in economic and military aid provided by the US, calling it “very counterproductive” for Ukraine’s leader to suggest that Trump was spreading Russian “disinformation,” reported NY Post.“President Trump is very upset at President Zelenskyy in some cases—and rightfully so,” Rubio said.Also Read: | Why US wants Ukraine’s minerals, 4 reasons it will have trouble getting themHe also pointed out that President Joe Biden had previously expressed frustration with Zelenskyy, citing reports of heated phone calls between them.Rubio dismissed claims that Ukraine or Europe were being excluded from negotiations. He insisted that Ukrainian, EU, and G7 officials were kept informed “throughout the process,” including before the Munich and Riyadh meetings with Russian officials.Story continues below this adTrump criticises Zelenskyy’s actionsZelenskyy had reportedly agreed that the deal “makes all the sense in the world” but stated he needed to seek approval from Kyiv’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, as per NY Post. However, two days later, Zelenskyy allegedly declared publicly that he had outright rejected the deal.US President Donald Trump criticised Zelenskyy this week, calling him a “dictator” and denying Russian President Vladimir Putin’s role in starting the war with Ukraine.“I’ve been watching this man for years now, as his cities get demolished, as his people get killed, as the soldiers get decimated,” Trump also said on Fox News Radio‘s ‘The Brian Kilmeade Show,’ as per reports by NBC. “I’ve been watching him negotiate with no cards. He has no cards, and you get sick of it,” he added.The United States has been collaborating with international allies to facilitate peace talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. Over the weekend, several senior US officials travelled to Saudi Arabia for discussions with members of the Russian government, excluding Ukraine from the meeting.(With inputs from New York Post and NBC)© IE Online Media Services Pvt LtdTags:Marco RubioVolodymyr Zelenskyy