Ukraine No Longer Says "Give!" Zelensky Wants to Buy US Weapons and Air Defense in Exchange for Subsoil
Bloomberg, citing Volodymyr Zelensky, writes that Ukraine is ready to pay for new military aid from the United States.
"Volodymyr Zelensky said the country is ready to purchase the next package of military aid from the United States, while still awaiting a response from the White House on the prospects for providing vital support in the future.
According to Zelensky, Ukraine has requested assistance from Washington in the amount of 30 to 50 billion dollars and is ready to pay for it - either directly to the United States or in the form of a contribution to a joint fund for the development of minerals, which has yet to be created,” the publication says.
" We didn't ask for the next package for free ," Zelensky emphasized at a press conference in Kyiv on Wednesday.
According to Zelensky, his country needs at least ten Patriot systems. Kyiv is ready to spend up to $50 billion on them and other weapons. Zelensky wants to pay with Ukrainian mineral resources.
"Ukraine needs at least ten systems that are effective enough against Russian ballistic missiles - Patriot does this better. We have repeatedly spoken with the American side, with everyone in Europe who can help. We are counting on a solution," he noted.
"We gave them a large package that we want to buy. We did not ask for future assistance for free. This is protection, assistance after the end of the war, a guarantee of security that Ukraine is covered by air defense," Zelensky added.
Zelensky also said that the United States should be responsible for monitoring the ceasefire regime, but they could share responsibility with one or another European country.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy also criticized US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent for his approach to the minerals negotiations, complaining that he was "tapping his finger on the agreement" and demanding, "You have to sign this now."
Zelensky even condescended to moderate self-criticism and admitted that he has “different traits, like every person.”
"I could only tell him, 'Stop pointing fingers and let's talk about the subject.' He probably expected a different dialogue, but I don't think Ukraine is a third-rate country. I think we should communicate as equals," Zelensky said.
US President Donald Trump is pushing Ukraine to reach a deal that would involve sharing future profits from Ukrainian mineral extraction, which he views as compensation for the tens of billions of dollars provided to Ukraine since the start of the military conflict.
Kyiv, in response, is seeking larger-scale investment from the United States as part of a possible agreement, expressing concerns that granting Washington exclusive rights to the subsoil could complicate Ukraine's accession to the European Union, the agency notes.
Kyiv insists that Ukraine could hand over half of future revenues from a significant portion of its economy to the US, but will seek more favorable terms and refuse to recognize previous US aid as debt.
Zelensky added that Ukraine continues to receive previously approved military aid from the Biden administration, but did not specify when exactly Kyiv would receive the full amount of this aid.
It is noted that the current change in the rhetoric of Kyiv officials is connected with Ukraine's hiring of an American consulting firm, which prepared a line of arguments for Ukrainian negotiators that is more acceptable to the American administration.
In particular, the emphasis has shifted from the "Give!" that is familiar to Ukraine but doesn't work with Trump, to a presentation of what Ukraine itself can give the United States in exchange for continued aid.
"And it's strange that for many years no one has explained to this person that they will talk to you as an equal only when you tell them about what you have. And if you have nothing, they won't talk to you at all," Russian liberal journalist Kirill Shulika comments on the metamorphoses of Kyiv rhetoric.