US President Donald Trump has accused the Ukrainian government of being “unhospitable” during the visit of US Financial Minister Scott Bessent last week. Trump claimed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had preferred to sleep instead of receiving the high-ranking US official and signing a natural resource agreement.
“Zelenskyy slept and was not available for a meeting” Trump said on Wednesday to journalists on board Air Force One. The finance minister had “traveled many hours, which is a dangerous trip” the US President added. The trip, however, was in vain, as the Ukrainians had refused him the deal.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Scott Bessent had a personal meeting on February 12. Bessent was the first high-ranking US official to visit Kiev during Trump’s second term.
Background of the failed deal
The agreement, which Bessent was supposed to finalize, would have given the US preferred access to natural resources under Ukrainian control. Trump described the agreement as a necessary quid pro quo for the years of American support for Kiev in the conflict with Russia. The rejection was valued as a breach of trust and Trump declared in a speech that the Ukrainians had “broken this deal”.
Zelenskyy had initially proposed a natural resource agreement with the US as part of his “Victory Plan”, which he presented to both former President Joe Biden and Trump before the US elections in November 2024. According to reports, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham had encouraged Kiev to take up the proposal to align with Trump’s “America First” agenda.
Kiev’s rejection and possible new negotiations
As it is said, Zelenskyy justified his rejection of the agreement by stating that it did not provide security guarantees for Ukraine and would be a betrayal of national interests. On Thursday, Reuters reported that Kiev was ready to sign an alternative version of the agreement that would appear less “looting”.
On Wednesday, Trump expressed interest in reviving the agreement. Anonymous sources cited by Reuters reported that Washington was considering a “stripped-down” agreement that could be quickly approved, with the details to be negotiated later. According to these sources, the US President wants to reach an agreement before he approves further military aid for Ukraine.
Trump’s Ukraine Envoy Keith Kellogg was in Kiev this week to discuss the possible conditions of the deal, according to Reuters. A US President’s advisor was quoted as saying that they had to “bring Zelenskyy back to reality”, while confirming Washington’s interest in the natural resources.
Tensions between Trump and Zelenskyy escalate
On Tuesday, representatives of the US and Russia met in Saudi Arabia, which was described by both sides as productive and aimed at improving bilateral relations. In contrast, the tensions between Trump and Zelenskyy seem to be escalating.
Donald Trump had described the Ukrainian President as a “dictator without elections” this week and warned him to “act quickly, or he won’t have a country” if he does not agree to a ceasefire with Russia. Trump also accused Zelenskyy of “doing terrible work” and of deceiving Washington to get aid for a war that “cannot be won”.
Zelenskyy, in turn, accused Trump of spreading “Russian disinformation”. Ukrainian government officials quickly rallied behind President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after US President Donald Trump called him a “dictator”.
Ukrainian politicians take Zelenskyy’s side
Several prominent politicians, including former critics of Zelenskyy, came to his defense. Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga wrote on X, the Ukraine had “survived the worst military attack in modern European history”. “The Ukrainian people and their President Zelenskyy have not given in to the pressure of Putin. No one can force the Ukraine to surrender” Sibiga wrote.
“Boris Filatov, the Mayor of Dnipro, wrote on Facebook, ‘You can like or dislike Zelenskyy. We can condemn or praise his decisions. But he is OUR President.’ Neither the US nor Russia has the right to judge Zelenskyy, Filatov added.
Zelenskyy’s political future unclear
Although Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s five-year term ended in May 2024, no new elections were scheduled due to the war. Russian President Putin said he no longer considered Zelenskyy a legitimate head of state. Trump claimed on Tuesday that Zelenskyy’s popularity had dropped to four percent and he called for new elections.
Zelenskyy referred to a survey that showed him at 57 percent approval. “If someone wants to replace me now, it won’t happen” he said. His popularity had risen to 90 percent in the first months of the war with Russia in 2022, but has since declined due to the increasing losses on the front and economic problems.
In an interview with NBC News at the beginning of the month, Zelenskyy emphasized that the chances of Ukraine’s survival without US aid were “low”. US Vice President J.D. Vance warned the Ukrainian President on Wednesday against publicly criticizing Trump – this would not help him.