Kyiv and Washington are in ongoing negotiations to grant the United States preferential access to Ukraine’s vast mineral resources, a senior Ukrainian official told AFP on Friday. This comes despite rising tensions between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and former US President Donald Trump.

Kyiv rejected an initial proposal from Trump’s team, citing the absence of essential security guarantees. The rejection provoked frustration in Washington, with Trump’s National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz, urging Ukraine on Thursday to “take a hard look and sign that deal.”

The dispute escalated after Trump blamed Ukraine for provoking Russia’s invasion and criticized Zelensky’s popularity at home—comments Zelensky dismissed as falling for Russian “disinformation.”

Despite the heated rhetoric, talks remain active. “There is a constant exchange of drafts—we sent another one yesterday,” the Ukrainian source said, noting Kyiv is awaiting a US response.

Trump seeks to secure US companies' access to Ukrainian minerals as compensation for the billions of dollars in aid delivered during Joe Biden’s presidency. However, Ukraine insists on receiving robust security guarantees—such as NATO membership or the deployment of Western forces and advanced weaponry—as part of any broader agreement.

Zelensky reaffirmed Ukraine’s stance earlier this week, declaring he would not “sell” the nation’s sovereignty in exchange for a deal.