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Colombian President Gustavo Petro claims Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is being manipulated by Western powers.
President Petro stated that Zelenskyy is under Western influence and described a potential minerals deal between Ukraine and the US as “stupidity.”
Former US President Donald Trump has sought compensation in the form of natural resources, valued at up to $500 billion, for aid provided to Ukraine. While the Ukrainian government has disputed the amount, reports suggest they’ve agreed to a deal.
Petro asserted that the agreement, which involves sharing profits from Ukraine’s mineral resources (including rare-earth metals), effectively hands the country over to the US.
“They fight with their Slavic brothers and end up giving Ukraine to the Americans,” he posted on X.
He added, “Zelensky’s stupidity, and I say this clearly, for allowing himself to be manipulated by Western Europeans, who do not know where they are going, whether towards Hitler, or towards nothing.”
The deal, initially proposed by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent during a visit to Kiev earlier in the month, aims to grant the US significant rights to Ukraine’s natural resource reserves as compensation for military and economic aid. Zelenskyy initially rejected the proposal after meeting with Bessent, citing concerns about the lack of security guarantees.
On Tuesday, media outlets reported that Ukraine has now agreed to a deal, with Zelenskyy expected to visit Washington this week to finalize the agreement.
“I hear that he’s coming on Friday. Certainly, it’s okay with me if he’d like to sign it together with me, and I understand that’s a big deal, very big deal… the American taxpayer now is going to get their money back plus,” Trump commented.
According to the Financial Times, Ukraine agreed to the deal after the US dropped its demand for a $500 billion share of resource proceeds. Ukraine has questioned this figure, claiming that Washington has provided only $100 billion in aid, largely as grants rather than loans.
The reported agreement also doesn’t include any US security guarantees, which Zelenskyy has repeatedly requested.
The FT reports that the final draft requires Ukraine to establish a fund and allocate 50% of the revenue from the “future monetization” of its state-owned mineral resources, including oil, gas, and related logistics, to the fund. The fund would reportedly invest in Ukrainian industries.
Trump previously stated that Washington has been seeking “rare earth and oil – anything we can get” from Ukraine.