Ukrainian leader: No repayment of debt to US in future agreement

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has firmly stated that Ukraine will not agree to repay any debt to the US if it is included in a potential agreement as a financial obligation.

Zelenskyy made the comments during a discussion with journalists, highlighting his opposition to any notion of debt repayment in the forthcoming agreement with the US, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.

“I will not agree to even a 10-cent repayment of debt in this agreement. Otherwise, it would set a dangerous precedent,” Zelenskyy emphasized, underlining his concerns about the broader implications of such a move.

He warned that recognizing Ukraine’s debt to the US in the agreement could create a situation where other countries would demand repayment for their support to Ukraine. 

The president further clarified that his main priority is to ensure that the agreement with the US does not include any acknowledgment of a debt for past assistance already provided to Ukraine.

Washington and Kyiv are working on signing an agreement regarding Ukrainian mineral resources, which US President Donald Trump expressed interest in at the beginning of February. However, President Zelenskyy had previously refused to sign the document, despite his earlier readiness for the deal. Trump suggested that Zelensky might visit Washington on February 28, to sign the agreement.

At the same time, Trump and Zelenskyy have serious differences over the US funds spent on assisting Kyiv. On February 19, Trump stated that Zelenskyy had convinced the US to spend $350 billion on a war that could never be won. Additionally, the US president emphasized that it was time to account for all the funds Washington had allocated to Ukraine.

By Naila Huseynova