Fri Mar 28 19:43:03 UTC 2025: ## Zelenskyy to Scrutinize US Minerals Deal, Rejects Loan Characterization of Military Aid

**KYIV, Ukraine** – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Friday that his government will carefully review a new US proposal granting the United States access to Ukraine’s critical minerals. Zelenskyy emphasized significant differences between this latest offer and previous drafts discussed with US officials. He stated that the proposal, formally submitted to his office, will be compared to earlier frameworks shared with Deputy Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko. “The framework has been changed. Let us study this framework, and then we can talk,” Zelenskyy told reporters.

The announcement comes amidst strained US-Ukraine relations following a rift with former President Trump, which resulted in a halt to previously agreed military aid and intelligence sharing. Zelenskyy firmly rejected any suggestion that the US military aid should be considered a loan requiring repayment, stating, “We are grateful for the support, but this is not a credit, and we will not allow it to be treated as such.”

Separately, Zelenskyy addressed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposal for temporary external governance in Ukraine as a pathway to peace. Zelenskyy indicated a willingness to engage in talks with Russian representatives who present a viable plan to end the war but ruled out any direct negotiations with Putin. He cited Putin’s claim that Zelenskyy lacks the legitimacy to sign a peace deal, given that Ukraine’s constitution prohibits elections under martial law. Putin’s proposal was swiftly dismissed by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who affirmed the legitimacy of Ukraine’s current government.

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