RT reported that on February 12 local time, US President Donald Trump expressed hope that Washington could withdraw hundreds of billions of dollars in aid to Kiev after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Ukraine, which took place the same day.
In recent days, President Trump has demanded that Kiev return more than $300 billion in aid that the former Washington administration provided in various forms, by providing the United States with a quantity of rare earth minerals, including lithium and titanium in Ukraine equivalent to $500 billion.
Mr. Trump said that because previous aid packages to Kiev were not implemented in the form of loans, Washington's financial security was not guaranteed. "They just give money every time someone from Ukraine comes in," Mr. Trump said.
In an interview, President Trump called US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent “a really brave man,” and said that Mr. Bessent would have a way to recover the huge amount of aid when negotiating with Mr. Zelensky.
At the meeting between Mr. Zelensky and Mr. Bessent on the morning of February 12 (local time), both sides called it an “economic partnership.” Mr. Bessent cited President Trump’s plan to end the conflict and expressed his desire to cooperate with Ukraine in an “economic partnership agreement.”
If successful, the US Treasury Secretary affirmed that Washington will continue to provide material support to Kiev, emphasizing that this will be a sign that the common economy between the two countries is being promoted.
Mr. Bessent noted that this document is of particular importance and the agreement will contribute to creating a long-term security shield for all Ukrainians.
Speaking after the meeting, Mr. Zelensky said that the Ukrainian side would review the document and make efforts for the negotiating teams to quickly reach an agreement. “We want that, because the United States is our strategic partner,” Mr. Zelensky said.
Also on February 12, Mr. Trump said he had a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and that same day, Kiev agreed to his request.
However, Mr Zelensky has admitted that Kiev does not control most of the resources that Mr Trump requested.
According to the leader of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), Denis Pushilin, the reserves of most of the mineral resources that President Zelensky mentioned are not located in Ukraine. “Most of the lithium and titanium are located on our territory, the liberated area,” Pushilin said.
