Part 5/9:
Tensions escalated further when it emerged that Ukraine had previously declined to sign a mining deal with President Biden to leverage negotiations with Trump instead. Initial indications suggested that Trump expressed an openness to supporting Ukraine's endeavors in exchange for access to the country's mineral resources, proposing that Ukraine's riches could secure financial and military assistance.
However, negotiations hit a snag when Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin's visit to Kyiv was met with resistance. Zelinski reportedly deemed the proposed agreement too unbalanced for Ukraine’s Parliament to endorse, particularly as it lacked adequate U.S. security guarantees.