Zelenskyy not to 'accept even 10 cents of debt repayment' in natural resources deal with US

Ukraine will not repay the money given to it by the US as part of the natural resources deal, President Zelenskyy told a press conference, Report informs via CNN.

“I will not accept [even] 10 cents of debt repayment in this deal. Otherwise, it will be a precedent,” he said Wednesday.

Zelenskyy said that the deal could be a “big success,” but emphasized that it only provides a “framework” that can be “part of future security guarantees,” which he hopes to discuss during his anticipated meeting with Trump.

CNN reported Tuesday that the US and Ukraine agreed terms on the deal and Zelensky is expected to travel to Washington, DC, in the coming days, according to a Ukrainian official.

The full text of the deal, obtained by CNN, outlined the two countries’ plan to establish a joint-owned “Reconstruction Investment Fund.”

Under the deal, to be signed by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Ukraine will contribute to the fund 50% of all revenues earned from the future monetization of state-owned natural resources assets, including hydrocarbons, oil and natural gas, as well as rare earth minerals.