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.
This split seems more likely by the day.
But it won’t help Russia, because Europe will pull together and increase aid to Ukraine, and I seriously doubt Americans really want this split. So in the most extreme case, Trump will be removed, and things will hopefully normalize.
But I think the split will indeed get worse before it returns to normal again.
I bet at least 90% of American politicians are very well aware who their true allies are, and it’s not the dictators Trump wants to work with.