Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of repeatedly deceiving the Trump administration about the proposed critical minerals agreement with the United States.
In a candid interview with conservative journalist Tucker Carlson, Bessent alleged that Zelensky “lied to our faces three times” about signing the deal, which would provide U.S. companies with access to Ukraine’s vital strategic minerals.”
Bessent explain that Carlson that he flew to Kyiv to sign the agreement with Zelensky—but the Ukrainian leader refused. Instead, Zelensky agreed to sign the deal during a meeting with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Munich, Germany, which never occurred.
“He didn’t sign it there,” Bessent began. “There was a lot of back and forth.”
Treasury Sec Scott Bessent tells Tucker Zelensky lied to US officials’ faces 3 times about signing minerals deal.
Why? ‘You know who doesn’t sign that deal. Someone with their hand in the till.’
Unmissable, just to hear Bessent call Zelensky a ‘vaudevillian.’ Though I could… pic.twitter.com/X0cO9zIQ8t
— Margarita Simonyan (@M_Simonyan) April 4, 2025
“The following week, they’re beginning to come to the White House,” the Treasury secretary continued. “Then he got to the Oval Office and blew up, which should have been the easiest thing to do in the world.”
“There’s a famous photo in the East Wing ballroom of everything laid out on the table to be signed—and it never got signed,” he added.
Bessent explained to Carlson that he believes the deal remains unsigned due to Zelensky receiving misguided advice from his advisors. He emphasized the contrast between the U.S. agreement and the unfavorable “loan-to-buy” arrangements that China has imposed on other countries.
“You know who doesn’t sign that deal? Someone with their hand in the till,” Bessent remarked, hinting at probable financial wrongdoing. He went on to sharply criticize Zelenskyy’s conduct, branding the Ukrainian leader a ‘vaudevillian’ for his handling of the situation.
“It’s a genuine economic partnership,’ the top Trump administration official continued. “We don’t make any money unless they make money, and you know who doesn’t like that? People with their hand in the till.’
“The Russians didn’t like the look of this deal because they thought it was actually something durable for the U.S. people and the Ukrainian people,” he added.
Bessent later told Carlson that Ukraine officials will travel to the U.S. in the coming days to work on the deal.
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