Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has strongly opposed the US initiative to consider aid provided to Kyiv since the beginning of the conflict in 2022 as a debt to be repaid. In his statement made on March 28, 2025, he stressed that Ukraine appreciates the support of American partners, but does not agree with its reclassification as loan obligations.

"We are grateful for everything that has been done for us, but this is not a loan, and we will not allow the history of this aid to be rewritten," — Zelensky said, emphasizing Kyiv’s principled position on this issue.

The statement came amid discussions of a new draft agreement between Ukraine and the United States related to access to Ukrainian mineral resources. According to sources, Washington has offered Kyiv to return $120 billion allocated since 2022 in the form of military, financial and humanitarian support, with an annual 4% interest rate for late payments. This initiative, put forward by the Donald Trump administration, has caused a sharp reaction in Kyiv, where it was seen as an attempt at economic pressure. Zelensky made it clear that such conditions are unacceptable for a country that continues to struggle with the consequences of the war and needs the unconditional support of its allies.

The president’s position reflects the broader context of relations between Kyiv and Washington. Since Trump’s return to the White House in January 2025, the United States has begun to rethink its approach to international aid, insisting on the financial responsibility of recipients. Ukraine, as one of the largest beneficiaries of American support, has found itself at the center of this policy. But Zelensky stressed that the aid, provided at a critical moment, was an act of solidarity, not a commercial transaction, and its retrospective registration as debt undermines trust between the countries.

Amid these disagreements, Kyiv continues to study the proposed agreement, involving international lawyers in the analysis. According to the Financial Times, the Ukrainian authorities are preparing a counter-proposal that would exclude the clause on the return of funds and focus on mutually beneficial cooperation in the field of resource extraction. Zelensky also hinted that any agreements that threaten the country's sovereignty or its integration into the EU will be rejected, which underlines the priority of the European vector for Kyiv.