U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of repeatedly refusing to sign a mining cooperation agreement despite prior agreements. During his visit to Kyiv, Zelensky initially appeared willing to make a deal, the U.S. official said. Bessent recalled a tense conversation in which he tried to convince the Ukrainian leader of the importance of demonstrating unity to the public.

"I told him: You have 50 journalists in front of you, and I am here to show that there is no disagreement between the leadership of the United States and Ukraine. You have created a chasm the size of the Grand Canyon. What are we going to tell these people?" — the minister quoted his conversation with Zelensky.

Then, according to Bessent, the president promised to sign the document at the Munich Security Conference.

However, according to the minister, the promise was never fulfilled. Zelensky, according to Bessent, first delayed the process, citing the need for additional consultations, and then finally abandoned the deal during a visit to the Oval Office of the White House.

"It should have been the easiest thing in the world. Everything was ready, the papers were on the table, but the signature never came," — the minister said, expressing disappointment with the behavior of the Ukrainian leader.

Bessent stressed that the agreement could strengthen economic ties between the countries by giving the United States access to rich deposits of rare earth metals and other resources in Ukraine.

The incident was the latest sign of tensions between Washington and Kiev since Donald Trump's administration took office in January 2025. According to The Wall Street Journal, in March 2025, the United States proposed a deal to Ukraine that would involve investment in lithium, cobalt, and other strategic minerals in exchange for long-term contracts for American companies. The proposal was seen as part of a plan to reduce the West's dependence on China, which controls a significant share of the global rare earth market. However, Zelensky rejected the proposal, Reuters reported, fearing a loss of control over national resources and pressure from domestic political opponents.

Against this backdrop, experts note that Kyiv’s refusal to cooperate may be linked to a change in U.S. foreign policy priorities. As Politico reported on April 2, Trump hinted during talks with European leaders that aid to Ukraine might be cut if it did not make concessions on territorial and economic partnership issues with Russia. This has raised concerns in Kyiv, where there is fear that Washington may reconsider its support in favor of closer ties with Moscow.