US President Donald Trump has issued a stark warning to Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, cautioning him against reneging on a proposed minerals deal with Washington. The deal, which Trump insists is essential for reimbursing the United States for its extensive financial and military aid to Ukraine, has become a major point of contention between the two leaders. With negotiations reaching a critical juncture, Trump’s latest remarks underscore the increasing strain on US-Ukrainian relations under his administration.

Since the onset of Russia’s large-scale military operations against Ukraine in 2022, the United States has funneled billions of dollars into military, financial, and humanitarian aid to Kiev. Trump, however, has long argued that Ukraine should repay this assistance through its rich deposits of rare-earth minerals and other valuable resources.

The initial version of the minerals deal focused on allowing US companies access to Ukraine’s vast reserves of rare-earth elements-critical for the production of advanced technologies, including military equipment and green energy infrastructure. However, negotiations took a dramatic turn in February, when a White House meeting between Zelensky, Trump, and Vice President J.D. Vance erupted into a public spat. The fallout led to the suspension of further discussions, with Trump halting military aid and intelligence-sharing as a pressure tactic to bring Zelensky back to the table.

By late March, Kiev received a revised version of the minerals deal-one that Zelensky quickly expressed dissatisfaction with. “There are a lot of things that had not been discussed before,” he stated, suggesting that Washington had altered the terms significantly, introducing conditions that were previously off the........

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