Kyiv: US President Donald Trump has alleged that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky treated US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent “rudely” during his recent visit to Kyiv. Trump accused Zelensky of being “unavailable” and “sleeping” during Bessent’s trip, which was aimed at negotiating a deal for the US to gain access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals in exchange for security support.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Bessent visited Kyiv last week to discuss the potential agreement. However, Trump claimed that the Ukrainian leadership rebuffed the proposal, leaving Bessent without the necessary document signatures. Trump criticized the encounter, highlighting Bessent’s long and risky journey to the Ukrainian capital, only to return without a deal.
The incident follows Trump’s criticism of Zelensky, whom he labeled a “dictator” for not holding elections amidst the ongoing conflict with Russia. Trump has expressed dissatisfaction with US military aid to Ukraine, suggesting a desire to tie future support to access to Ukraine’s rare earth materials. Trump’s remarks have raised concerns among Kyiv and its European allies, who fear that negotiations with Moscow could conclude the war on unfavorable terms.
Zelensky, who has been under martial law since the Russian invasion in 2022, was elected in 2019 for a five-year term. He responded to Trump’s comments, accusing the US president of residing in a “disinformation” bubble influenced by Russian narratives. The United States, under former President Joe Biden, had previously praised Zelensky’s leadership and imposed sanctions on Russia in support of Ukraine.