The American president revealed that Scott Bessent took a long journey to the capital with a document regarding minerals, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was allegedly "asleep" and unavailable for a meeting.
"We had an agreement on rare earth metals, and Ukraine more or less agreed to it. Then Scott Bessent actually went there, and he was treated rather rudely because, essentially, they told him 'no.' Zelensky was asleep and couldn't meet him," Trump stated.
However, the meeting did take place, as evidenced by a video of the talks, published by Zelensky on Facebook the same day.
The U.S. leader emphasized that his minister traveled many hours by train to Kyiv, which is a "dangerous trip."
"He went there to sign the document and returned empty-handed," Trump said.
At the same time, Trump indicated that he would not mind reviving the agreement and reiterated that Ukraine "needs to hold elections."
"I think I'm going to revive the agreement, otherwise it won't make them too happy. And look, it's election time. It's been a long time since there were elections," the politician concluded.
As reported by Reuters on February 20, citing sources, the Trump administration may attempt to negotiate a simplified agreement with Ukraine regarding minerals to expedite the process and then discuss detailed terms.
The agency notes that the American president wants to finalize an agreement with Kyiv in the coming weeks, which is very fast.
According to media sources, it is important for Trump to publicly inform the American people that the U.S. is recouping funds for aid provided.
Another source familiar with the matter told the media that Ukraine is ready to strike a deal with the Trump administration.
Another source also informed Reuters that Kyiv is willing to make a deal, but it should not appear as "predatory" as the agreement that was initially proposed by the U.S.