Summary

White House adviser Mike Waltz said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky must return to negotiations and agree to a U.S. deal for access to Ukraine’s critical minerals, linking it to past and future American aid.

Zelensky rejected the proposal, saying he “can’t sell our state.” The dispute comes amid strained U.S.-Ukraine relations, with Trump negotiating directly with Russia on ending the war.

Zelensky was excluded from recent U.S.-Russia talks, raising concerns in Kyiv.

Meanwhile, Trump’s calling Zelensky a “dictator” has further escalated tensions.