The Ukrainian president said the agreement was not ready and did not allow ministers to sign it.

The mineral deal with the United States that Ukraine refused to sign did not offer any specific security guarantees in return, the Associated Press reported , citing several sources familiar with the talks.

It is noted that Ukraine is currently preparing a “counterproposal” that will be submitted to the United States in the “near future.”

“I did not allow the ministers to sign the relevant agreement because, in my opinion, it is not ready to protect us and our interests,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. “I think it is important that the Vice President (J.D. Vance) understands me: if we want to sign something, we must understand that it will work.”

A senior White House official called Zelensky’s decision “shortsighted,” at least for now.

White House National Security Council specialist Brian Hughes said that “President Zelensky is short-sighted about the great opportunity the Trump administration has given Ukraine.” He said the deal would allow American taxpayers to “recoup” the money sent to Kyiv while simultaneously growing Ukraine’s economy.

As Hughes added, the White House believes that “compulsory economic ties with the United States will be the best guarantee against future aggression and an integral part of a lasting peace”:

“The United States recognizes it, the Russians recognize it, and the Ukrainians must recognize it.”

The proposal focused on how the U.S. could use Kyiv’s natural resources “as compensation” for support already provided to Ukraine by the Biden administration and as payment for future aid, according to current and former senior Ukrainian officials.

One source said “this is a colonial agreement and Zelensky cannot sign it.”

One official suggested that the U.S. proposal did not take into account how Ukrainian deposits would be protected if Russian aggression continued. He said the U.S. had “no ready answers” to that question, and that one takeaway from the Munich discussions would be how to ensure the security of any mining operation in Ukraine.

(C)UNIAN 2025