The US tried to intimidate Ukraine into signing a mineral resources deal in exchange for aid at the Munich Security Conference, according to a report. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was told that he wouldn't be allowed to meet US Vice-President J D Vance if he didn't sign the deal.
However, Kyiv refused to bow to the pressure and was finally allowed to meet Vance, reported European Pravda.
The US blackmailing happened last week as Europe scrambled to respond to Vance's warning to European leaders. The US at that time was turning its attention towards pressuring Ukraine.
A meeting between J D Vance and Zelenskyy was to take place on Friday morning at the Commerzbank building designated for the American delegation. Though Vance was present and all arrangements made, the US suddenly informed everyone that the meeting was postponed. Many believed this was due to the delayed arrival of Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
However, the real reason was the high-stakes drama unfolding between Ukraine and the US.
The Ukrainian delegation was told by the White House to agree to US President Donald Trump's version of the mineral resources deal in exchange for aid. They would be allowed to meet Vance only if that pact was signed. The US delegation believed that the setbacks faced in Ukraine, including the current security situation, and the impending peace talks between Russia and the US would force Ukraine to toe the line. However, Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy said no, the report said.
Kyiv was apprehensive about signing the deal as the draft was given to them just two days ago. The Ukrainian side needed time to study the deal and its economic implications. Ukraine had submitted a revised version of the deal, which was rejected by the US.
After Zelenskyy said no, the US dropped its insistence. "The harshness and pressure from US negotiators vanished as if by magic. The demand to sign the agreement was quietly dropped, and the meeting with Vance went ahead as if nothing had happened," the report added.
It also quoted an official of the Ukrainian side, who said the meeting was quite successful as Vance aligned with the Ukrainian position on many issues. "We arrived in Munich feeling pessimistic. But after the conference, our optimism has definitely grown," one member of the Ukrainian delegation told European Pravda.
