AdvertisementAdvertisementUkraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy gives a press conference in Kyiv, Feb 19, 2025. (Photo: Tetiana Dzhafarova/Pool via AP)22 Feb 2025 09:39PM (Updated: 22 Feb 2025 09:40PM) Bookmark Bookmark WhatsApp Telegram Facebook Twitter Email LinkedInRead a summary of this article on FAST.Get bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try.Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FASTFAST Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is "not ready" to sign a deal that would give the United States preferential access to his country's rare earth minerals, a Ukrainian source told AFP.US President Donald Trump wants Ukraine to give US companies access as compensation for the tens of billions of dollars of aid delivered under his predecessor Joe Biden.Mike Waltz, Trump's national security adviser on Friday (Feb 21) predicted that Zelenskyy would sign the deal soon, but the contours of the proposed agreement have not been made public."In the form in which the draft is now, the president is not ready to accept, we are still trying to make changes and add constructiveness," a Ukrainian source close to the matter told AFP Saturday."There are no American obligations in the agreement regarding guarantees or investments, everything about them is very vague, and they want to extract US$500 billion from us.""What kind of partnership is this? ... And why do we have to give US$500 billion, there is no answer," the source added.The source said that Ukraine had offered amendments.Ukraine is seeking security guarantees from the United States as part of any deal signing away its natural resources and critical minerals.The disagreement over the deal comes amid a war of words between Zelenskyy and Trump, who branded his Ukrainian counterpart a "dictator" in a social media post earlier this week.Commentary: Trump-Putin deal on Ukraine will be Europe’s moment of reckoningHow will Trump's growing rift with Zelenskyy affect peace efforts?Source: AFP/fhSign up for our newslettersGet our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inboxSubscribe hereGet the CNA appStay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best storiesDownload hereGet WhatsApp alertsJoin our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat appJoin hereAlso worth readingContent is loading...Expand to read the full storyGet bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try.Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FASTFAST