Mar 28, 2025 11:01 PM IST
President Volodymyr Zelensky at a news conference said that Ukraine does not recognize the United States’ military aid as loans
President Volodymyr Zelensky at a news conference on Friday said that Ukraine does not recognize the United States’ military aid as loans. The 47-year-old revealed that Kyiv received a draft of a new agreement from the US regarding critical minerals, which is ‘completely different from the previous framework document’.
Zelensky added: “We are grateful for the support, but this is not a credit, and we will not allow it.”
In a press release published on March 12, the US Department of State had confirmed that Washington has provided $66.5 billion in military assistance to Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. It further added that $69.2 billion in military assistance has been provided since 2014.
“We have now used the emergency Presidential Drawdown Authority on 55 occasions since August 2021 to provide Ukraine military assistance totaling approximately $31.7 billion from DoD stockpiles,” the Marco Rubio-led department said.
Speaking to reporters, Zelensky said that Ukraine would be ready to engage in talks with any Russian representative, as long as it is not President Vladimir Putin.
The Ukrainian president’s massive statement came weeks after he clashed with US President Donald Trump and VP JD Vance at the White House. Talking about the confrontation in February, Zelensky said: “It was just a really tough situation.”
