Ukraine ‘may be Russian someday,’ Trump says, as the U.S. ups pressure

US President Donald Trump suggested that Ukraine could lose his sovereignty against Russia and said he wanted compensation for the help Washington had provided to Ukraine.

“”[Ukraine] may conclude an agreement. They may not conclude an agreement. They can be Russian one day, or they may not be Russian one day. But we are going to have all this money in there [Ukraine] And I say, I want it, “said Trump in a news from Fox interview which was broadcast on Monday.

The president also said that the United States had “essentially concluded” an agreement with Ukraine that would see Washington receiving rare earths and mineral resources – which are mainly used in electronics – in exchange for continuous support.

“I told them that I wanted the equivalent of $ 500 billion in rare land (minerals), and they essentially agreed to do so,” Trump told the broadcaster.

Ukraine has not publicly commented on the value of potential minerals with the United States, although President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said last week that it was ready to “conclude an agreement” with the United States on minerals in exchange for help. CNBC contacted Zelenskyy’s office to comment.

The Ukrainian leader is aware that Trump and senior foreign officials and American defense want to put the war at its end, and that they seek to conclude an agreement with Moscow to happen.

This position has upset Ukraine, lending a feeling of urgency to kyiv’s need to seem willing to negotiate and lends itself to Washington proposals on a peace agreement.

In the middle of the perceived weariness of its key ally and with the third anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine Russia to approach quickly on February 24, the management of kyiv said that it was willing to participate in talks of Peace, but demanded security guarantees as part of any peace agreement.

Trump’s comments arise while Ukraine’s European allies are expected to undergo pressure this week to further welcome the burden to support kyiv in the future.

The American State Department known as America Ukraine has so far provided Ukraine with $ 65.9 billion in military assistance And billions of more financial and humanitarian aid, since Russia launched its invasion in 2022. The EU says its overall military support for Ukraine since the start of the war amounts to 48.3 billion euros ($ 49.8 billion).

The increasingly heavy question of continuous support in Ukraine occupies the front of the stage this week, with senior American officials – including vice -president JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Keith Kellogg, L ‘Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine and Russia – going to Europe for a wave of high -level meetings.

The first of these gatherings will be “Ukraine Defense Contact Group” in Brussels on Wednesday, during which it is largely planned that the American delegation will call on European allies to assume financial responsibility for supporting Ukraine.

National security advisor Mike Waltz told NBC News `Meet the Press ” On Sunday, American officials would use the UDCG meeting to conclude an agreement with kyiv concerning aid and pushing European partners to assume more responsibility for the future of Ukraine.

“We have to recover these costs and this will be a partnership with the Ukrainians in terms of their natural resources and their oil and their gas as well as ours,” Waltz said on Sunday.

“These conversations will occur this week. And I think that an underlying principle here is that Europeans must be owners of this conflict in the future. President Trump will end it. And then, in terms of guarantees Security, it will be with Europeans.

In a clear sign that the United States wants to step back from its leadership role in Ukraine, the United Kingdom summons the UCDG. Defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, attends the event, but this will first mark in the last three years that the holder of his post did not chair the group.

The Pentagon said in a declaration Before the UDCG meeting that HegSeth “will engage with NATO allies and partners to discuss the need to stimulate allied defense expenses, increase European leaders and extend the basic capacity industrial defense on both sides of the Atlantic “.

Hegseth “will reiterate President Trump’s commitment to a diplomatic end to the war in Ukraine as quickly as possible. He will also highlight the need for increased European management on security assistance in Ukraine”.

CNBC asked the Pentagon additional comments, but the Ministry of Defense would not be based on what US officials could demand from their European counterparts this week. A spokesperson for the Pentagon told CNBC that no major policy announcement was expected.

US officials are expected to go to kyiv this week before going to Germany for the Munich Security Conference on February 14, 16. Zelenskyy said he had to meet Vance at the conference and hoped to have talks with President Trump this week.

The American chief said on Monday that Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin were impatient to conclude an agreement. Russia has been more shy regarding the status of dialogue with the United States, only saying that it is ready to negotiate. CNBC asked for additional comments from the Kremlin.

“He [Zelenskyy] wants to conclude an agreement. I would say. We are dealing with him and I think they both want to conclude an agreement. But we will have to see, “Trump told journalists on Monday evening, according to NBC News.

“It should be done. It would never have happened if I was president. It would never have happened. Millions of people died,” said Trump, confirming that Keith Kellogg would also be in Ukraine this week.

President Zelenskyy confirmed that discussions were taking place, declaring on Monday that “our teams are working on our dialogue, on the conversation between me and President Trump. He talked about it, and I don’t think there is a secret to This subject.

“As for whether [Putin and Tramp] Communicate – Well, we will see who, how and if it really happens, “said Zelenskyy.