Trump accuses Zelensky of trying to back out of 'rare earth' deal

President Donald Trump on Sunday night accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of trying to back out of a proposed mineral deal that went south last month after a confrontation between the two leaders.

Zelensky visited the White House in late February to sign the rare earth deal, but the deal was placed on hold after the Ukrainian leader was booted from the White House following a contentious meeting with Trump. 

Trump warned Zelensky during a press briefing on Air Force One on Sunday that he should not try to get out of the latest deal, which officials have teased could be reached as early as this week, per CNN. 

Zelensky last week claimed the conditions of the deal had changed "several times" though he was optimistic the two countries would still be able to get an agreement finalized eventually. 

“I see he’s trying to back out of the rare earth deal. And if he does that, he’s got some problems. Big, big problems,” Trump told reporters. “We made a deal on rare earth and now he’s saying, ‘well, you know, I want to renegotiate the deal.’ 

“He wants to be a member of NATO," Trump continued. "Well, he was never going to be a member of NATO. He understands that. So if he’s looking to renegotiate the deal, he’s got big problems.”

The new proposal would give the U.S. more access to Ukraine's mineral resources, including oil and gas, across the country, sources told CNN.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.