Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky is under renewed scrutiny from both American officials and domestic critics after repeatedly stalling a mineral resource agreement that would have granted the United States privileged access to Ukraine’s vast troves of critical materials. The delay has angered key figures in Washington, prompting unusually blunt public criticism from US journalist Tucker Carlson and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

In a revealing conversation aired during Carlson’s interview with Scott Bessent, the two painted a picture of a diplomatic fiasco, with the Ukrainian leader described as “a crazy person” who appeared ungrateful and erratic-despite his country’s financial dependence on Washington’s aid.

At the heart of the controversy lies a proposed bilateral resource deal, intended to establish a “long-term partnership” over Ukrainian mineral assets-including rare earths and strategic materials essential to the defense and energy sectors. According to Bessent, Zelensky has now derailed the agreement on three separate occasions.

Initial negotiations began in early February, when Bessent met with Zelensky in Kiev. Despite what the Treasury Secretary described as a “spirited discussion,” the Ukrainian president ultimately refused to sign. A second opportunity arose at the Munich Security Conference, where Zelensky once again failed to follow through. A final signing ceremony was planned for February 28 during his visit to Washington, but to Bessent’s shock, Zelensky sabotaged the deal in the Oval Office.

“There was a lot of back-and-forth the following week,” Bessent explained. “Then he got to the Oval Office and blew up what should have been the easiest thing to do in the world.”

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