Zelenskyy advises ministers to turn down U.S. proposal to access Ukraine's rare earth minerals

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recommended his ministers not approve a proposal that would have allowed the U.S. to use Kyiv’s rare earth minerals “as compensation” in exchange for security assistance, according to a report from the Associated Press.

The proposal, which was part of the discussions between Zelenskyy and U.S. Vice President JD Vance during the Munich Security Conference on Friday, did not provide specific security guarantees for Ukraine, according to unnamed current and former senior Ukrainian officials. 

“I didn’t let the ministers sign a relevant agreement because in my view it is not ready to protect us, our interest,” Zelenskyy said on Saturday in Munich.

A senior White House official called Zelenskyy's decision "short-sighted," the AP reported.