Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy expressed discontent with a proposed U.S. critical minerals deal, stating it lacked necessary security guarantees and voicing concerns about Ukraine becoming merely a raw materials hub.

His comments followed a meeting in Ankara on Tuesday, where he emphasized the need for a fair exchange in any investment agreements, especially those involving Ukraine's rich resources, such as rare earth minerals, titanium, uranium, and lithium.

Last week, Kyiv sent a revised draft to Washington, aiming to secure U.S. investment in its critical minerals in exchange for bolstered U.S. support. This move came in response to worries over an earlier version of the deal proposed by the U.S. Zelenskiy highlighted the importance of reciprocity in such deals, stating, "But if we are to give something, we have to receive something."

During his talks with Turkish media, Zelenskiy remarked on the current draft, "I said 'this document is not ready, we will not sign this. You continue to work on this document." He further clarified Ukraine's stance, "We don't want to become a centre of raw materials for any continent."

The backdrop of these discussions includes U.S. President Donald Trump's statement expressing a desire for $500 billion worth of rare earth minerals from Ukraine, while not committing to ongoing military aid essential for the country.

Zelenskiy's visit to Ankara coincided with a separate meeting in Riyadh between U.S. and Russian officials about the war in Ukraine, a meeting that did not include Ukrainian representation.

Zelenskiy conveyed that while he believes Ukraine has support in Washington, he expects more concrete backing from Trump. He stressed the importance of Ukraine's role in negotiations to end the war, saying, "There should be people at the negotiating table who can stop (Russian President Vladimir) Putin if he wants to return to war.

And they must be able to give us real - not just promises - and concrete security guarantees. We are ready for such a dialogue."

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