The Kremlin believes that by essentially saying that he wants Ukraine to supply the US with rare earth minerals, US President Donald Trump has announced that he wants Kiev to pay for military aid from Washington, Reuters reported.
According to Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov, such a public statement means that Washington is not ready to continue providing military support to the Eastern European country for free.
"This is a proposal for Ukraine to buy its aid, that is, it should no longer be provided to it on a gratuitous or other basis, but on an economic basis," said the Kremlin official.
Yesterday, Trump told reporters that Ukraine was ready to participate in such a barter, and added that he wanted the US to receive something "equivalent" from Kiev in exchange for aid amounting to "nearly $300 billion".