White House National Security Advisor Mike Waltz made statements on Thursday urging the Ukrainian government to "tone down" after a series of insults exchanged between U.S. President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky. Waltz deemed Kiev's refusal to sign a proposed mining deal from the United States as "unacceptable" and criticized how Trump is handling the peace talks.
In an interview with the conservative Fox News network, Waltz stated: "They need to tone down, assess the situation carefully, and sign that agreement." Last week, Zelensky revealed that the United States proposed that Ukraine give up 50% of its natural resources, especially key minerals and rare earths for technological development, in exchange for past aid from Washington, with no guarantees of future assistance.
The Ukrainian leader claimed that the agreement does not guarantee any future aid from the U.S. and suggested that accepting the proposal would be the best security guarantee for Ukraine. Meanwhile, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance intervened in the controversy warning that publicly criticizing Trump would only hurt Zelensky.
Relations between Washington and Kiev are in a delicate state after the insults exchanged between Trump and Zelensky, with the U.S. president labeling the Ukrainian leader a "dictator." The meeting between Zelensky and the U.S. special envoy for the war, Keith Kellogg, could be crucial for the future of the negotiations.
Amid this tension, Waltz urged Ukraine to accept Trump's proposal on minerals and to work on an agreement that would allow the United States to invest in the Ukrainian economy and become a sustainable partner for the country's future.
