Ukraine to not accept even 10 cents of debt repayment in agreement with US, says Zelenskyy

ISTANBUL

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Wednesday that Kyiv would not accept even “10 cents of debt repayment” in its agreement with the US.

“The question is not that we are ungrateful. We are grateful. But if the next agreement contains a condition that new aid will not be free, I will not play,” he told journalists in Kyiv.

Zelenskyy also denied claims that the deal on mineral resources included any massive debts.

“There is no $500 billion debt, nor $350 billion, nor $100 billion. That would be unfair to us,” he stated.

Zelenskyy confirmed that the agreement does not require ratification and emphasized the importance of maintaining Ukraine’s military strength. “I will keep the army as it is because it is the best guarantee of security,” he said.

He noted that the deal includes “at least a mention” of security guarantees for Ukraine in the 10th point, adding: “Officials briefed me, and it is there. This is important.”

When asked about a possible trip to the US on Friday, he said that he hopes to meet with US President Donald Trump in Washington: “There was an invitation. The offices are working. We are waiting to see when and what,” he said.

Zelenskyy also announced that he plans to visit London for a meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

“After the United States—if I go, we’ll see—I plan to visit London, and right after that, we will meet with Europeans there at Keir Starmer’s,” Zelenskyy said.

He said the agreement could be a major success or go unnoticed, but added: “A big success depends on the conversation with Trump.”

Zelenskyy said he has not reviewed the final version of the deal but Ukrainian officials see it positively.

“They say ‘it can work.’ I have not seen the final version yet, but the key issues I raised are there. Both Ukrainian and American teams worked well,” he said.