Ukraines criticism of the United States is unacceptable, Donald Trumps top security advisor said Thursday, prompting Kyiv to cool its rhetoric and rapidly sign a minerals deal pushed by the White House.
Were getting all this pushback ...
they require to tone it down and take a difficult look and indication that deal, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz told Fox News shortly before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was to meet Trumps special envoy Keith Kellogg in Kyiv.Walz was describing a proposed agreement that would offer the U.S.
access to huge amounts of Ukrainian natural resources as the new president demands getting a return on American help sent to Kyiv as it eradicates a Russian invasion.Zelensky rejected that offer over the weekend, arguing that it does not use his country security assurances three years into the war.Waltz explained the minerals deal as the best security guarantee they could ever wish for, far more than another pallet of ammunition, arguing it would see the United States purchased the country.The U.S.
president has rattled Kyiv and its European backers by opening talks with Moscow that they fear could force Ukraine to capitulate to Russia.Kyiv was not invited to talks in Riyadh earlier this month in between Moscow and Washington as they moved to sideline both Ukraine and Europe.In the days since Zelensky rejected the minerals deal, Trump has actually savaged him as a totalitarian while the Ukrainian leader has actually cautioned the U.S.
president is residing in a Russian disinformation bubble, in a bitter break between the one-time allies.
Theres certainly a great deal of aggravation here, Waltz stated on Fox.When asked if he believed the conflict was reconcilable, Waltz reacted: I think so ...
to state that were going to alter the nature of our aid going forward is, I dont think need to upset anyone.
He also denied that Ukraine has actually been eliminated of Trumps talks with Russia over ending the war, firmly insisting that there was a lot of engagement and dialogue with Kyiv as well as European allies.
This is a sensible plan.
They might not like it but were going to drive it forward and everyone will stop squawking when the combating ends, Waltz said.He said Washington and Moscows interests were aligned in stopping the war ...
Were going to move forward complete speed ahead to drive this war to an end and then we can talk about wider geo-strategic relationships.