The Kremlin is intensifying efforts to derail a proposed U.S.-Ukraine minerals deal, deploying a barrage of disinformation targeting both nations while dangling rival offers to the Trump administration, recent Russian statements reveal.
Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in a fiery CNN interview with Kaitlan Collins Friday night, demanded an apology from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for a contentious Oval Office clash that scuttled the deal, accusing him of undermining Trump’s peace push and hinting at doubts over Kyiv’s intentions.
READ: Rubio Cast Doubt On Zelenskyy’s Commitment To Peace After Oval Office Fiasco
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, on February 23, dismissed the minerals pact, claiming occupied Ukrainian territories—illegally annexed by Russia in 2022—“decided long ago” to join Moscow, implying Zelenskyy might “sell out” the rest. Russian state TV’s Vesti escalated the rhetoric on February 24, alleging U.S. “blackmail” over the deal, while a Kremlin-linked milblogger dubbed it “humiliating” for Ukraine, asserting “there is nothing good for Kyiv” in it.
President Vladimir Putin joined the fray that day, boasting to state journalist Pavel Zarubin that Russia’s rare earth reserves dwarf Ukraine’s, offering U.S. firms access to minerals in both Russia and occupied Ukraine—plus aluminum deals—as a counterpunch to Trump’s plan.
The Kremlin’s charm offensive continued with RDIF CEO Kirill Dmitriev telling CNN on February 24 that Russia seeks U.S. economic ties, starting with energy, to bolster a “more resilient global economy.”
Yet, Russian state media like TASS and RIA Novosti delayed amplifying Peskov’s February 26 claim—that Trump’s foreign policy shift “largely coincides” with Russia’s vision—until March 2, timing it to exploit Friday’s U.S.-Ukraine fallout.
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Headlines misrepresented Peskov’s words as a reaction to the Zelenskyy-Trump spat, aiming to widen rifts.
Rubio, speaking hours after the White House meeting collapsed, laid into Zelenskyy for turning a minerals deal signing into a “fiasco.”
“There was no need for him to … become antagonistic,” he told Collins, pinpointing Zelenskyy’s challenge to Vance—“What kind of diplomacy are you talking about?”—as the breaking point. Rubio defended Trump’s goal to “get the Russians to a negotiating table,” arguing Zelenskyy’s “maximalist demands” and public jabs at Putin—like reparations calls—torpedoed a peace process explained to Kyiv for 10 days.
“You start to perceive that maybe Zelenskyy doesn’t want a peace deal,” he said, demanding an apology for “wasting our time.”
READ: Florida Sen. Rick Scott Cheers Trump’s ‘America First’ Stand In Oval Office Clash With Zelenskyy
Collins pressed Rubio Friday on Zelenskyy’s insistence that Putin’s deal-breaking history—like the 2019 ceasefire—requires U.S. guarantees. Rubio countered, “Our approach is … trust but verify … If there’s a 1 percent chance [of peace], that needs to be explored,” rejecting Biden’s “meatgrinder” funding as unsustainable. He bristled at past Putin labels—“war criminal,” “butcher”—noting, “My job … is to deliver peace,” not sling names.
On repairing ties, Rubio was guarded: “Anything is possible,” but only if Zelenskyy backs Trump’s “enduring and lasting peace.”
The Kremlin’s sabotage—claiming the deal robs Ukraine while touting Russia’s richer reserves—aims to thwart a pact tying U.S. economic stakes to Kyiv’s sovereignty, a threat to Putin’s goal of isolating Ukraine.
READ: Rubio Defends Trump’s Peace Push, Urges Zelenskyy Reset After Oval Office Clash
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CBS Sunday that even without security clauses, it’s a “building block” for future aid.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, meanwhile, twisted EU peacekeeping talks into a call for regime change, alleging Europe props up Zelenskyy to prolong war—another wedge against U.S.-EU unity.
As Putin bets on outlasting Western resolve, Trump’s clash with Zelenskyy signals a U.S. pivot that Moscow is eager to exploit.
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